“When We Keep Score, We All Lose!”

Colossians 3:12-14, “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.” (MSG)

Jimmy’s temper got out of control at a party and he ended up becoming loud and embarrassing to his wife Lisa. The next morning he felt bad and asked her to forgive him. She said she would, yet she kept bringing it up. One day in discouragement he said, “I thought you were going to forgive and forget.” She said, “I have, I just don’t want you to forget that I have forgiven and forgotten.”

Now, before you judge her too harshly and hastily, ask yourself an honest question requiring an honest answer: Do I “forgive and forget” just like that? A forgiveness that’s merely lip service because your heart doesn’t genuinely and sincerely, mean it? Well, I’m here to tell you that that is NOT biblical forgiveness for believers. And for samples of what biblical forgiveness looks like, all we need to do is look at God: “And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments and distributed them by casting lots for them” (Luke 23:34 AMP); “If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]” (1 John 1:9 AMP); “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12 AMP); “Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3 AMP).

I find it amazing that God can forgive us like that, and yet, we that call ourselves “Christians” and “Christ-Like” act nothing like His Character. Knowing in advance, before time, all of the sins and mess we would commit and get ourselves into, and yet He still forgave and continuously forgives all of us, moment, by repentant moment! And what does He ask that we do in return? Simple. Follow His Example! Why? Because there is a biblical danger found in unforgiveness: “But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:15 AMP); “Judge not [neither pronouncing judgment nor subjecting to censure], and you will not be judged; do not condemn and pronounce guilty, and you will not be condemned and pronounced guilty; acquit and forgive and release (give up resentment, let it drop), and you will be acquitted and forgiven and released.” (Luke 6:37 AMP).

In case you’re not getting it, you are not forgiven, UNTIL you first forgive! And let’s be honest here, are you really so perfect, blameless, sinless and spotless, with absolutely no blemishes, that you can afford to be without God’s forgiveness? I think not. And I love the way Luke puts it, “Do Not Judge, Do Not Condemn, Do Not Pronounce Guilt…INSTEAD…Acquit, Forgive, Release, Give Up, and Let It Go!” Like it or not, but if you are truly in fact a Believer, then the whole Bible is to be followed by YOU! And full, complete and total forgiveness of others is indeed a part of the Package Plan!

Listen: Keeping score only works in competitive sports; however it’s disastrous in friendships and relationships. Truth is, there’s so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us, that we’ll spend much of our lives learning to forgive and forget. And let’s be honest, forgetting is harder when the offence is great. Small offences can often times be forgiven and even forgotten rather quickly; bigger ones require a healing process. But until you make the decision to forgive, the process can’t even begin.

So how can you “forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you?” Paul answers that question for us in today’s text: “Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]. Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].” (Colossians 3:12-14 AMP).

I love that God addresses our BEHAVIOR! And what should our Behavior be as Believers? “Tenderhearted Pity; Mercy; Kind Feeling; a Lowly Opinion of Ourselves; Gentle Ways; Patience; Tireless and Long-Suffering; Endurance; Good Temper; Forbearing; Pardoning; Forgiving; and Loving.” And like it or not, but you cannot be Unforgiving, and yet Behave Christ-Like, nor call yourself a Christian!

Remember This: You are Commanded to Forgive! I think we’ve somehow forgotten that in today’s form of church. Now we forgive and forget conditionally, not unconditionally as we have been commanded! A “Command” is defined as, “To Give an Authoritative Order; a Charge by a Superior”. In other words, this is not a Suggestion! To “Suggest” means you have the opportunity to “Think it over; consider it; and change your mind”. You do not get to think it over whether you will forgive or not, you are commanded to do so by your Superior and the command is non-negotiable! And “Non-Negotiable” is defined as, “not open for discussion, debate or modification”. So, the next time you utter the words “let me pray about it”, when it comes to forgiveness, remember this is a Non-Negotiable Command That is Not Open for Suggestion, Discussion, Debate or Modification! This is NOT about your feelings, but about your obedience! Extending forgiveness as a believer does not depend on how you feel, what emotions you’re embracing, nor is it about waiting until you’re in a better mood or have adjusted your attitude, over time. It is about receiving a Direct Order from Your Superior Who has Commanded You to Hear and Heed! You don’t get to alter the Bible because someone hurt you. Their actions are never to alter your discipline to obey.

God makes it clear, you cannot “forgive” and then bring it back up again! How do I know that? Because He COMMANDED: “forgive as quickly and COMPLETELY as the Master forgave you” “Completely” is defined as “Entirely; Absolute; and Total”. I reiterate, this Command is Non-Negotiable!

Now am I saying this is easy? NOPE! Because personally I’ve had to forgive some really hard stuff over the course of my life. But I also cannot deny the fact that I’ve had to be forgiven for much over the course of my life too. And it was not easy on either side, but it was Necessary for my Growth, Development, Maturity, Leadership, Healing, Deliverance and Even My Blessings!

As a counselor, I’ve sat across from cases where if I were in their shoes, I honestly don’t know if I could have forgiven some people and some stuff. It’s just that real. Victims forgiving their rapist and molesters; drug and alcohol addicted parents, children, spouses, siblings etc…who did and said some horrible things under the influence; the drunken driver that killed your family members; marriages that had to face infidelity and even children born during affairs; and dare we even address church hurt. And the list could go on and on forever because truthfully, saved and unsaved alike, we are still faulty, flesh and blood and we have a tendency to behave in manners that are not becoming, not just as believers, but also as human beings. Which is why, especially for the believer, we ought to daily thank God for grace and mercy. He has extended it more times than we’ve deserved it. And all of us, with one sin or another, are repeat offenders, who find ourselves back at the throne of grace again and again. None of us are perfect, and that’s not an excuse or a reason, it’s just the truth. However, as we grow in God and mature in our convictions, our long laundry list of wrongs ought to turn out right at some point! This takes time and practice, but it can be done.

Therefore, to practice this kind of forgiveness you must focus on a person’s worth, not their weaknesses. You must turn your heart away from what Was, to what Can Be. And to do that, we must always remember our Ministry: “But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].” (2 Corinthians 5:18 AMP). Well, it’s kind of difficult to hate someone and bring them into harmony with Christ at the same time! So what helps? Remembering that YOU FIRST had to be brought into harmony with God! And it’s certainly hard to point clean fingers with dirty hands! You have to remember where you were, and what you did that needed forgiveness and restoration and then likewise extend the same unto others. Remember: “And as you would like and desire that men would do to you, do exactly so to them.” (Luke 6:31 AMP). If you want to receive forgiveness…give it; if you want to receive understanding…give it; if you want to receive restoration…give it; if you want a fresh new start…give it; if you want grace and mercy…give it; if you want patience and long-suffering…give it. It’s really more simple than it is complicated…just do unto others as you would want done unto you. And no one wants to be partially forgiven. So stop being the one who partially forgives.

And even with all of that said, there will always be the one person who asks, “But why should I forgive and forget?” Simple:

1…Because God’s Word Tells You To. Challenge yourself this week and look up all the Scriptures you can find about forgive and forgiveness. Memorize a different one daily. You’ll be amazed at how softened your hard heart becomes towards others. Remember: Forgiveness is non-negotiable, meaning it is not open for discussion or up for debate. You’re commanded to do it and the Bible clearly states: “If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.” (John 14:15 AMP). However, if you attempt to say you love God and yet hate your brother or sister, the Bible has a little more to say to you: “If anyone says, “I love God,” but keeps on hating his brother, he is a liar; for if he doesn’t love his brother who is right there in front of him, how can he love God whom he has never seen?” (1 John 4:20 TLB). If you love Him, you will keep His commandments, and His commandment is that you forgive quickly and completely.

Because You Yourself Will Continue to Need Forgiveness. I don’t care how wonderful you are or think you are, but as long as you remain flesh and blood, you will sin, and therefore you will continue to need forgiveness. However, the Bible has already made clear that if you don’t forgive you will not be forgiven. It doesn’t matter how wealthy you may be, you cannot afford to be without the forgiveness of God.

2…Because You Weren’t Built to Carry the Stress that Goes with Resentment. Do you know how draining resentment is? It ages you, makes you hard and bitter, unloving, and intolerable. After all, would you want to hang out with someone who is always negative, complaining, bitter, and mean-spirited? Well, neither does anyone else. Stress kills, and so does resentment and unforgiveness. Your heart was never designed to hold hatred! So, what is your heart designed to hold? Psalm 119:11, “Your Word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” (AMP) Your heart is to store and hold onto the Word of God. And what has the Word of God said to you? Forgive, completely and totally and quickly. In a nutshell: release it, release them and release you!”

Today is a good day to stop keeping score! Remember, we are many parts but only in one body. And whatever you do to one member, it affects the whole body! Hebrews 12:14-17, “Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.” (MSG)

Are you starting to see the real dangers found in unforgiveness? You don’t get to even see a glimpse of God because of your bitter discontent. You become one weed that ruins the whole garden. Not to mention you can find yourself like Esau, full of regret, but tears or no tears, you messed up and missed God’s blessing for all eternity. Do you really think unforgiveness is worth you paying that price?

Listen, When we keep score, we all lose because we’re fighting against our own teammates! How can we win a game while we’re keeping score against one another? Therefore, no more. Determine this will be a New You! And the best way to start New, is to get rid of the Old. Today, get rid of Old attitudes of resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness. Fill your heart and life with love, patience, kindness, and forgiveness. You’ll look better, you’ll feel better and you’ll live and be better!

Ephesians 4:26-32, “Be angry [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], yet do not sin; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].  The thief [who has become a believer] must no longer steal, but instead he must work hard [making an honest living], producing that which is good with his own hands, so that he will have something to share with those in need.  Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak].  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin].  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence].  Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.” (AMP)

“Stop keeping score and begin being a loving person again. Smile more. Give yourself a month to just be loving, generous and kind without worrying or watching to see if every little gesture is returned. Then see what happens. It is amazing how quickly the people in your life will respond to your thoughtfulness, your tenderness, your generosity and your openness.” (Connie Podesta)

“Keeping score is for games, not friendships.” (John C. Maxwell)

“The minute you start keeping score, you’re destroying the relationship.” (Tony Robbins)

“Life’s too short for anxious score-keeping.” (Teju Cole)

“Keeping score of old scores and scars, getting even and one-upping, always makes you less than you are.” (Malcolm S. Forbes)

“Quit keeping score altogether and surrender yourself with all your sinfulness to God who sees neither the score nor the scorekeeper but only His child redeemed by Christ.” (Brennan Manning)

“Grace means we can put the chalk away and stop keeping score.” (Bob Goff)

“The best way to win at life is to quit keeping score.” (Susan Gale)

“Keeping score is an American pastime. We keep score in sports, academics and in the workplace. But keeping score with relationships can create problems. Great love emerges when companions can share experiences without evaluating who is ahead.” (Reed Markham, PhD)

“Fortunately, God doesn’t keep score the way we humans do. If He did, there wouldn’t be one of us still standing.” (Dr. Tim Kimmel & Darcy Kimmel)

“I know you’re thinking that you’ve finally gone too far, and you’re certain He’ll be closing the door. But you’ve got to believe the things you’ve done aren’t beyond His grace. He’s not keeping score.” (Francesca Battistelli)

“The sad truth is that most Christians spend their entire lives trying to score points with Someone who is not keeping score.” (Wayne Jacobsen)

“Your life doesn’t get more sensational when you have more followers on Twitter. That’s not what you ought to be keeping score of.” (Seth Godin)

“Grace cannot prevail…until our lifelong certainty that someone is keeping score has run out of steam and collapsed.” (Robert Farrar Capon)

“Relationships are about give and take; not tit-for-tat. If you’re keeping score, you’ll lose at your own game.” (Faydra D. Fields)

“We all makes mistakes, what’s the use of keeping score?”

“In the game of life, it is wise to refrain from keeping score.”

“Marriage is not a contest. Never keep score. God has put the two of you together on the same team to win.”

“Happily married people know that keeping score is what unhappily married people do.” (Alisa Bowman)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #BeForgiving
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Working Out When You’re Over 50”

 

“When Life Knocks You Down, Kneel at the Throne of Grace”

Hebrews 4:14-16, “Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (MSG)           

Pastor Craig shared the following: “The barber shop I used to go to was definitely a man’s world, and you got far more than just a haircut when you went there; you also got an ear full. See, something happens when men sit down in a barber’s chair. It’s as if they were administered truth serum, and they start to suddenly talk openly about their relationships, marriage, kids, health issues, and job frustrations, whether you want to hear it or not. The same happens in bars, too, or so I’ve been told. The barber, the bartender, and even the beautician, they all seem to be like “Safe” people that you can sort of unload on. Unfortunately, however, they can listen, but they usually can’t help very much. Understanding this, makes it clear to me that there’s something in all of us that’s looking for somewhere we can really let out what we’re always holding in. You need it; I need it too. It’s Called A Safe Place.”

Well, Hebrews 4:13-16 declares, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we possess. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way just as we are yet was without sin. Let us then approach the Throne of Grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Now, that’s what you call a Great Passage of Scripture!

Let’s be honest, all of us carry a heart full of emotions that we sometimes don’t feel “Safe” to share. But, we need to. If we don’t, they just boil up inside, and often they boil over out of us and Unintentionally Hurt Other People! Especially Those Whom We Love Dearly!

You see, instead of “Safely” exposing them, we cover them, we mask them, we redirect them. Why? Well, we’re afraid that the person’s attitude, the one we’ll tell, might change if they know what we Really feel, what we Really did, what we Really said, what we Really thought, or who we Really are!

Truth is, there’s this little boy or little girl inside all of us that’s sometimes insecure and scared, AND Well Covered! And unfortunately, the older we get, the more Skillful we become at knowing how to Better cover it up with our mask! We get a fresh haircut or a fresh hairdo, put a smile on our face and simply say “Nothing’s wrong, don’t worry about me, I’ve got it all together. I’m fine“. And yet there’s this deep anger or pain inside that we don’t want anyone else to see, and it hurts. There’s fear, there’s doubt, there’s an agonizing struggle with some sin, or secret longing or long ago unhealed physical, spiritual, mental or emotional wound, that has Never been attended to or treated. Well, if that’s you, here’s some good news just for you: GOD ALREADY KNOWS!

That’s what this passage says. “Everything is naked and open before Him.” In other words, we can’t under any circumstance surprise Him! You don’t go to Him and tell Him your struggles only to hear Him say, “Oh, you’re kidding! Really? I didn’t know that. I didn’t see that coming.” Because, HE ALREADY KNOWS! And since He already knows the deepest secrets of your soul, HE’S THE BEST SAFE PERSON AND PLACE TO UNLOAD ON! A ‘safe place’ is defined as, ‘a place intended to be free of of bias, judgment, conflict, criticism, ridicule, or potentially threatening actions, ideas or conversations; a place where someone or something is kept safe, guarded and protected.’ And that’s exactly what you have in God! A safe place where you can take ALL of your stuff to and unload freely, honestly and completely. And when you’re done, there will be no bias, judgment, conflict, criticism, ridicule, or potentially threatening actions, ideas or conversations, because you and ALL of your stuff is kept safe, guarded and protected, By God!

So stop suffering in silence, and go ahead and tell Him!

Tell Him about the affair, tell Him what you stole or what was stolen from you, tell Him about your insecurity or deep hurt. Tell Him how you Really feel about what she said or what he did. Tell Him about your loneliness, emptiness, depression, and feelings of low self-worth.

After all, you can’t shock Him who is the very one where EVERYTHING lays before Him NAKED AND OPEN! He Already Knows! You’re not telling Him to INFORM Him, you’re telling Him to FREE YOURSELF!

And you don’t have to worry about having it all together before you go to tell Him either! He Already Knows this thing has torn you to pieces! So you can be scared there, you can be wounded with Him, you can be weak, you can be wiped out. You can be vulnerable and unsure of yourself. In His presence, FOR ONCE you don’t have to have it all together! You don’t have to look good. You don’t have to be in control. You don’t have to have your tie straight, and your dress pressed. You don’t have to have a smile on your face and eloquent words on your lips. You don’t have to walk confident! You don’t have to wonder if He’s going to turn His back on you.

Because no matter what you say to Him, HE ALREADY KNOWS! And Regardless to what He Already Knows, He Still Deliberately Chooses to Remain Your Safe Place!

Telling Him about your sin doesn’t sever you from being a Son of God, nor does telling Him about your dirt disinherit you as a Daughter of the King! Believe it or not, even the Most Elaborate of Palaces Collect Dust and Dirt! So your rubbish doesn’t remove your Royal Status in the Kingdom! SO TAKE A LOAD OFF AND TELL HIM! HE’S YOUR SAFE PLACE!

The tragedy is we often don’t take advantage of this opportunity for openness with God. Instead we come to Him all wrapped up in some kind of religious prayer talk with all of our ‘thus, ye, thou and saith’! We dress up our hurt and skirt the real issues! We refuse to put the right name on what we’re feeling, because it might scare us to call it what it Really is. But you can’t get delivered until you can define your hurt! And as leaders, we often times do great damage to our churches when we push people to keep on pressing through instead of sitting down and re-evaluating themselves and their issues! We want them to constantly scream Victory, Praise, Warrior, Restored, when in actuality, we need them to be honest that when they go home (after the music has stopped, the sermon is over and the anointed atmosphere has lifted) the truthful words they speak are Defeated, Exhausted, Depressed, Scared, Lonely, Insecure, Confused, Worried and Suicidal.

People of God, we can’t keep slapping Scriptures and Church Lingo on Everything! People need a “Safe” place to unload their stuff! And sometimes their stuff is not going to sound all that pretty or powerful! Only the TRUTH will set them free, so if we keep teaching them how to Masquerade behind church lingo or church activity, they will forever be BELIEVERS IN BONDAGE!

It’s high time we stop coming to God all dressed up! After all, we’ll Always be “…naked and open before Him!…” says the Scripture! No matter what Steve Harvey original or Rhinestone (suit, shoes, hat and pocketbook to match) that we come dressed or MASKED in, He Already Knows what we really look like! So let’s start our praying where we Really are; not where we should be, or where we think, others think, we should be. When you come Real, open, honest and naked, something supernatural always happens! You go to the Throne of Grace and you get mercy and grace to help you in your time and hour of need!

Listen: I’m one of those teachers who love to use analogies, so let’s try this: Stacy needs $100, I have $100 to give her, I just need to know WHERE SHE’S AT so I can bring it to her. I ask Stacy where she is, she says 200 Clinton Street, but she’s actually at 400 Clinton Street! Does Stacy get what she needs? NO! Was what she needed available to her? YES! What was the one and only problem? STACY WASN’T HONEST ABOUT WHERE SHE REALLY WAS! Likewise, you’ll NEVER be able to get the healing, deliverance, and peace you need until you can talk to God and tell Him EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE! And sometimes exactly where you are will sound like this: ‘I’m terrified about this diagnosis’; ‘I’m frustrated about taking all of these pills’; ‘I’m in so much pain, why can’t the doctors figure out what’s wrong with me?’; ‘I’m confused about whether to stay in this marriage or finally file for divorce’; ‘I don’t know what else to do about my children, my daughter is flunking out of school, and I have no idea what I’ll do if my son comes home talking about yet another baby mama’; ‘They’ve laid off almost everyone in my department, what will I do if I’m next?’; ‘I’m about to default on my mortgage’; ‘Tuition just went up again’; ‘The car won’t start’; ‘My parents are getting older and their health is failing, and there’s only me’; ‘I’m tired, weary, lonely, ashamed, angry, bitter, resentful, exhausted’; ‘I can’t cry another tear’; ‘Will I pass this exam’; ‘What will I put on the table for dinner with no food in the fridge?’ And beyond the physical, some of your bigger struggles behind where you Really are, are spiritual, and sound like this: ‘What’s the point of praying since God isn’t listening to me?’; ‘What’s the point of asking when I always get a ‘no’, what’s the point of seeking when I never find anything better, what’s the point in knocking when the door Never opens for me?’; ‘My faith is on empty’; ‘My hope has become helpless’; ‘My strength has weakened’; ‘My praise has been on pause for a little while now’; ‘My worship can’t get one hallelujah out anymore’; ‘The more I try to walk by faith, my feet keep stumbling in fear over all I see’; ‘The sermons are always about blessings, breakthrough, healing, deliverance, promises, promotion, joy and peace, so what’s the point of me listening, since that’s a Word that’s never for me and my household?’; ‘I can’t remember the last time I had the slightest desire to read the Bible’; ‘All of my songs have turned to sighs’.

Truth is, telling God the truth about where you Really are, can be the most painful conversation you’ll ever have in your life. But if you are to be set free, you have to be honest, even when honesty cuts like a knife! In a nutshell: Stop saying I’m Fine when you’re actually Falling Apart! Only the TRUTH will set you Free! So tell God the Truth! ALL OF IT! It will open up that diseased area in your life to God’s healing power. Then you can finally start to become what you ought to be, because you finally started admitting what you’re not! In other words, don’t act like you’re whole when you’re not, be honest and finally be whole, FOR REAL!

So who needs the barber, or the beautician, or the bartender to confess to? We’ve got a Savior, and He knows you, and He feels with you, and He’s walked your trail. He alone is the “Safe” place to unload the deepest secrets of your soul. You need not carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, not when He’s given you this command and promise: “Casting the WHOLE of your care [ALL your anxieties, ALL your worries, ALL your concerns, once and for ALL] on HIM, for HE cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (1 Peter 5:7 AMP). Did you get all of that? God doesn’t just want you to give Him what happened yesterday, but you are to cast the WHOLE of your care, ALL of it on HIM! God is waiting for you to tell Him everything! He wants to be your personal confidant! ‘Confidant’ is defined as, ‘a person in whom one confides.’ And ‘confide’ is defined as, ‘to tell someone about a secret or private matter in confidence.’ Its Latin origin ‘confidere’ literally means, ‘to have full trust.’ And what does the Bible admonish us about Trust? Proverbs 3:5-12, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life…” (MSG) And how do you get all of that? By TRUSTING GOD! God desires to be the confidant that you confide in. He desires to be the one you tell all of your secrets to (even the dirty ones that no one but the ones you did dirt with know about). He desires to be the person you trust with your private matters in complete confidence. He places no conditions or stipulations on what you can tell Him! He wants the WHOLE of it, He wants ALL of it, so why are you holding it all to yourself?! God isn’t telling you to only tell Him the good stuff either! He’s telling you to tell Him about all the anxieties, the worries, and the concerns! In fact, He doesn’t just want you to tell Him, but He wants you to CAST them ALL on Him! That word ‘cast’, is defined as, ‘to throw forcefully; to discard; to shed’. Listen, God isn’t looking for you to approach Him with eloquent words, and hands lifted up in adoration. NO! He’s saying, ‘I won’t take it personal, just throw it all at Me, even if you have to do so forcefully, I can take it, I can handle it!’ Your job is to ‘discard’ (‘to get rid of what is no longer useful or desirable; to reject’); and to ‘shed’ (‘allow to fall off; discard; get rid of; take off; cast or give off; separate; divide; scatter’) So, why is all of that stuff still in your possession?! When God Himself said, to cast it, discard it, shed it! 

People of God, you are carrying weight God never gave you. You are carrying burdens that God is waiting for you to hand over to Him. You are trying to figure out stuff with your finite mind, when you have an infinite God shaking His head wondering how much longer is My child going to suffer and struggle needlessly as if I were absent, and not present?!

In Case You Forgot: You are NEVER Alone!

Hebrews 13:5, “Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I WILL NOT IN ANY WAY FAIL YOU NOR GIVE YOU UP NOR LEAVE YOU WITHOUT SUPPORT. [I WILL] NOT, [I WILL] NOT, [I WILL] NOT IN ANY DEGREE LEAVE YOU HELPLESS NOR FORSAKE NOR LET [YOU] DOWN (RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU)! [ASSUREDLY NOT!]” (AMP)

Did You Read That? “…for HE [GOD] HIMSELF HAS SAID…” He Didn’t Send a Prophet, He Didn’t Send a Prayer Team, He Didn’t Have Anyone to Preach It or Teach It and Hope You Get It! NO!  “…for HE [GOD] HIMSELF HAS SAID…” HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH THAT HE’S SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO YOU HIMSELF! AND WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO SAY THAT’S SO SUPER IMPORTANT THAT HE WON’T LET ANYONE SPEAK ON HIS BEHALF? HE SAYS TO YOU…TODAY:

“…I WILL NOT IN ANY WAY FAIL YOU NOR GIVE YOU UP NOR LEAVE YOU WITHOUT SUPPORT. [I WILL] NOT, [I WILL] NOT, [I WILL] NOT IN ANY DEGREE LEAVE YOU HELPLESS NOR FORSAKE NOR LET [YOU] DOWN (RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU)! [ASSUREDLY NOT!]”

That’s a Whole Lot More Than Just: “I’m your boy, I got your back or I’m here for you girl”! GOD HIMSELF SAYS, REPETITIVELY MIGHT I ADD, I WILL NOT IN ANY WAY FAIL YOU, NOR GIVE YOU UP, NOR LEAVE YOU WITHOUT SUPPORT, NOT IN ANY DEGREE, I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU HELPLESS, I’LL NEVER FORSAKE YOU, I’LL NEVER LET YOU DOWN, I’LL NEVER RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU!

The Common English Bible says it like this: “…GOD HAS SAID, I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR ABANDON YOU” (Hebrews 13:5 CEV) I Don’t Know About You, But I Love to Hear God Say NEVER! “Never” is defined as: “At No Time In the Past, Present or Future; Not On Any Occasion; Not Ever; Not At All; Absolutely Not; Not to Any Degree or Extent; Certainly Not; Surely Not; In No Case; and By No Means”

In other words, No Matter What You Have to Go to God and Tell Him, He Will NEVER: “At No Time In the Past, Present or Future; Not On Any Occasion; Not Ever; Not At All; Absolutely Not; Not to Any Degree or Extent; Certainly Not; Surely Not; In No Case; and By No Means” FORSAKE, ABANDON OR LEAVE YOU!!! IF THAT’S NOT LOVE, I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS! WITH A PROMISE, GUARANTEE, DECLARATION, DECREE LIKE THIS, WHAT’S KEEPING YOU FROM GOING TO GOD HONEST AND OPEN FEELING COMPLETELY SAFE TO TELL HIM EVERYTHING?! YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GO TO ANYONE ELSE NAKED AND NOT ASHAMED, BUT WHEN YOU COME TO GOD, NO COVER-UP IS NEEDED! NO WORRIES, YOUR FIG LEAVES CAN STAY ON THE TREE!

Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (MSG)

Listen: He cares for you, He’s concerned about you, ALL OF YOU, even your secret sins and struggles don’t diminish His devotion! So, Unload on Him Today, He’s Strong Enough to Carry It and You! He Is Your Safe Place!

“You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, Say this: “GOD, YOU’RE MY REFUGE. I TRUST IN YOU AND I’M SAFE!” (Psalm 91:1-2 MSG)

 

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #YouAreSafe
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “How to Break the Phone Habit?”

“It’s Time to Come Clean!”

Psalm 24:3-4, “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…” {NIV}

The Vienna Maternity Hospital was the largest maternity hospital in the world in the middle of the nineteenth century. It was considered a safer place to deliver a child than at home. YET, the mortality rates for mothers giving birth were alarming! Studies done from 1839 to 1847 revealed that women attended by medical students were dying at nearly Triple the Rate of those attended by midwives! The cause? Believe it or not was, UNWASHED HANDS! You see, doctors would routinely conduct Post-Mortems and then proceed Directly to the Maternity Wards to Deliver Babies!

Finally, a Hungarian doctor name Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis introduced the doctors to hand washing with a chlorine solution between procedures. Only then did the mortality rates of mothers of newborns drop dramatically!

Today we understand to a far greater degree the role of bacteria in producing and spreading disease. Medical personnel and restaurant workers alike are REQUIRED to wash their hands REGULARLY! And even in the simple day-to-day, how often do we hear mothers urge their children, “Wash your hands before you come to the table!”

Just as External Cleanliness Promotes Physical Health, Having “CLEAN HANDS” Before God Promotes Spiritual Health! Scrubbing up Spiritually involves Repentance – Confessing Our Sins, Coming Clean – Before God so that We Can Experience Spiritual Well-Being!

The Psalmist pleaded, “Create in me a CLEAN heart, O God, And renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 AMP). Be honest now, have you taken the time to plead with God to do the same for you? If not, what are you waiting for? Because just as the doctors with unclean hands were cutting newborns lives short and destroying the joy of the mothers who carried them for 9 months and birthed them with expectations of a long, full life with them, likewise, your uncleanness is cutting lives short and destroying the joy of others! You see, when you have a dirty mouth, a filthy attitude, unclean thoughts, impure motives, and a contaminated heart, you are cutting lives short (yours and others)! Just as those unclean doctors hands were contagious and contaminating lives to Death, so are your unclean hands on your own life and the lives of those you come into contact with. Because sin never seeks to cause hurt or harm, it seeks to utterly destroy life! James 1:13-15, “Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: SIN! SIN GROWS UP TO ADULTHOOD, AND BECOME A REAL KILLER.” (MSG)

In addition, you are destroying the joy of others as well as the joy that God gave you in abundance! “The thief comes only in order to steal and KILL and DESTROY. I came that they may have and ENJOY LIFE, and have it in ABUNDANCE (TO THE FULL, TILL IT OVERFLOWS)” (John 10:10 AMP) Don’t entertain sin with that thief or he will Steal, Kill and Destroy Your Life and ALL attached to your life!

Nugget: Today is for you to focus on YOUR OWN sin and life, and not that of others! Because sometimes we can get so caught up in the WRONG in the lives of others, that we can fool ourselves into thinking our lives are ALRIGHT! Therefore, today, I challenge you, FOR ONCE, don’t focus on the misery of someone else’s marriage, the problems with someone else’s parents, the soap opera with someone else’s siblings, the crisis of someone else’s children, the junk of someone else’s job, or the mess of someone else’s ministry, instead, FOR ONCE, Focus On YOUR OWN Stuff! FOR ONCE, DON’T POINT YOUR FINGERS IN ANOTHER BROTHER OR SISTER’S LIFE, UNTIL YOU’VE LAID HANDS ON YOUR OWN! COME CLEAN WITH YOUR OWN ISSUES, MISTAKES, HABITS, ADDICTIONS, BAD JUDGMENTS etc.

My dad would say it like this: “when you spend all your time working on your own life, you don’t have any extra or unused tools to tear apart someone else’s” What can I say, he was a mechanic! But the point is still valid!

Look at it like this: When you have to wash YOUR nasty windows, clean out YOUR gross gutters, exterminate YOUR insect infested basement, clear out the countless cobwebs in YOUR cluttered attic, pull up YOUR stained carpet, paint over YOUR dingy walls, seal YOUR rusty broken pipes, repair YOUR raggedy and ruined roof, and replace YOUR broken tiles that look like shattered teeth, YOU DON’T HAVE THE TIME OR ENERGY TO POINT OUT THE SPOTS ON ANOTHER PERSONS SOFA! Yes Sir, Yes Ma’am, you most certainly can say Amen Right There!

In her book ‘With My Whole Heart’, author Karen Mains writes, “Spiritual awakening always begins with Cleansing. It begins in the heart of the individual who suddenly says to himself/herself, “I’m dirty.” And that is painful, particularly if we’ve been pretending all along to be clean.”

If you long for greater Intimacy with God, ask Him to examine your heart to see if there are any areas in which you need to come clean before Him. Confession, in its most Elemental Form, simply means Agreeing With God that you departed from His ways and have fallen short of His standards. Admit to Him – AND TO YOURSELF – that you are in need of a Spiritual Bath! Be prepared, however, like a little child, to squirm a little when He reminds you to wash behind your ears! But in the end, oh what a feeling and joy of finally coming and being clean! No more spraying perfume in hopes that it will mask the odor of sin! Go ahead and have a spa day, and come completely clean with God! Just like your body feels better from a physical spa, so will your spirit feel better from a spiritual one!

Now, if you think about a person in the Natural refusing to bathe again, it really sounds pretty disgusting! Can you imagine someone Never Washing Again?! The stink, the odor, the stench?! Which is why the Word came to remind you today: “So that He might sanctify her, Having CLEANSED Her By the WASHING of WATER With the WORD,” (Ephesians 5:26 AMP).

So, you still don’t think you need to be washed? Well, the Scriptures beg to differ with you! LISTEN:

1. “Why, God can’t even trust his holy angels. He sees the flaws in the very heavens themselves, So how much less we humans, SMELLY AND FOUL, who lap up evil like water?” (Job 15:16 MSG).
2. “They are all gone aside, they have all together BECOME FILTHY; there is none that does good or right, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:3 AMP).
3. “For we have all become like one who is UNCLEAN [CEREMONIALLY, LIKE A LEPER], and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like FILTHY RAGS OR A POLLUTED GARMENT…” (Isaiah 64:6 AMP).
4. “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and FILTHY LANGUAGE From Your Lips.” (Colossians 3:8 NIV).
5. “For though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, Yet your iniquity and guilt are still [upon you; you are] SPOTTED, DIRTY, AND STAINED BEFORE ME, SAYS THE LORD” (Jeremiah 2:22 AMP).
6. “Evil people relish malicious conversation; the ears of liars itch for DIRTY GOSSIP” (Proverbs 17:4 AMP).
7. “These prophets and priests blindly grope their way through the streets, GRIMY AND STAINED FROM THEIR DIRTY LIVES, Wasted by their wasted lives, shuffling from fatigue, Dressed In Rags.” (Lamentations 4:14 MSG).
8. “But who will be able to stand up to that coming? Who can survive his appearance? He’ll be like white-hot fire from the smelter’s furnace. He’ll be like the strongest lye soap at the laundry. He’ll take his place as a refiner of silver, as a cleanser of DIRTY CLOTHES. HE’LL SCRUB THE LEVITE PRIESTS CLEAN, Refine them like gold and silver, until they’re fit for God, fit to present offerings of righteousness…” (Malachi 3:1-3 MSG).
9. “Watch the way you talk. Let nothing FOUL OR DIRTY come out of your mouth…” (Ephesians 4:29 MSG).
10. “Don’t allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, FILTHY PRACTICES, or bullying greed. Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses for language than that. DON’T TALK DIRTY or Silly. That kind of talk doesn’t fit our style…” (Ephesians 5:3 MSG).
11. “And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, Impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, DIRTY TALK” (Colossians 3:5 MSG).
12. “A long time ago you broke out of the harness. You shook off all restraints. You said, “I will not serve!” and off you went, Visiting every sex-and-religion shrine on the way, Like a Common Whore. You were a select vine when I planted you from completely reliable stock. And look how you’ve turned out—a TANGLE OF RANCID GROWTH, a Poor Excuse for a Vine. SCRUB, USING THE STRONGEST SOAPS. SCOUR YOUR SKIN RAW. THE SIN-GREASE WON’T COME OUT. I can’t stand to even look at you!” God’s Decree, the Master’s Decree.” (Jeremiah 2:20 MSG).

You know, for some “CLEAN CHURCH FOLKS” who don’t need any washing, God’s Word sure does make us sound PRETTY DIRTY!

Let’s recap, shall we? THE WORD OF GOD DESCRIBES US, “CLEAN CHURCH FOLKS” as: “…SMELLY, FOUL, LIKENED TO A CEREMONIALLY UNCLEAN LEPER, WITH DEEDS THAT ARE AS FILTHY RAGS AND POLLUTED GARMENTS, POSSESSING FILTHY LANGUAGE, SPOTTED, DIRTY, AND STAINED!” Think that’s bad? Nope…That’s Nothing! Keep Reading! Even the “PROPHETS AND PRIESTS” were described as “GRIMY, STAINED, DIRTY, WASTED, FATIGUED AND IN RAGS!” Think God is impressed with your rhinestone and Steve Harvey suits? Wrong again, He says they are nothing but “DIRTY CLOTHES”! Does it stop there? Not a chance! Even the “LEVITE PRIESTS” needed to be “SCRUBBED CLEAN AND REFINED BY FIRE” in order to be found “fit for God.” Surely, then our church lingo will help us save face…right? WRONG! The Word goes on to say that our speech is described as “FOUL AND DIRTY”! And dare we talk about our “FILTHY PRACTICES”?! Finally, is that it? Yeah right! We are also addressed as an “IMPURE, COMMON WHORE”! Once a “SELECT VINE” now called a “TANGLE OF RANCID GROWTH AND A POOR EXCUSE FOR A VINE”! Think the word “rancid” sounds pretty? How about we check the definition just to be sure? “Rancid” is defined as: “foods containing fat or oil smelling or tasting unpleasant as a result of being stale.” Its Latin Origin “rancidus” literally means “stinking.” So much for “rancid” being pretty sounding! And if that wasn’t the topping on the cake, GOD says, “…Scrub, using the strongest soaps. Scour your skin raw. The sin-grease won’t come out. I can’t stand to even look at you!” Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think we “clean church folks” are really as clean as we thought we were after all!

So, when the alarm goes off the next time the church doors swing open, think about this devotional before you go to roll over in bed, hit snooze and say, “I can miss this time”! Oh, no you can’t!  You need the washing of the Word, and there’s just no better place to be bathed then in the company of the saints collectively in the House of the Lord! You say, “But I can do that at home alone”. Yep, you sure can. But just like I can grab a cup handle and pick it up with one finger, it’s so much easier, and more secure when I grab it with my whole hand, all fingers included! This Sunday grab somebody and say to them: “I WAS glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!” (Psalm 122:1 AMP). You see, coming clean in the house helps you remain accountable. It keeps all eyes on you so you don’t allow sin to distort your vision again. All eyes on you keeps you cautious. You’re more likely to make better and wiser decisions when you’re not so isolated. Because when you’re isolated, you’re only listing to YOU! And when you’re attempting to cover sin, or try to find ways to condone it, justify it, or find loopholes for it, your imagination becomes its creative best! No, you need to be in the company of those who will call your sin, SIN! So, if you’re one who knows it’s time to do some house cleaning, make sure you get down to the HOUSE!

Church, we have no more excuses for not washing, both physically and spiritually! If you want to be a believer who is known by God as ‘a man or woman after God’s own heart’, it’s vital that you ask God for a clean heart! And if you desire to approach God, know that He requires clean hands too! Psalm 24:3-4, “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…” {NIV}  

Saints, Don’t Allow the Pollution of Sin to Keep You Out of the Presence of God! 

Reflection Questions:

1. When was the last time you “washed your hands” by spending time in confession to God?

2. How often do you spend more time focusing on the “dirty lives” of others that you forget to clean your own?

3. You are the “temple”, the “house” of the living God. With that said, what do you do daily to keep His Residence Clean?

4. What are some of the “tools” you use to work on bettering you?

5. When you feel “dirty” what scriptures do you meditate on to clean yourself up?

6. Do you have a tendency to point out the “dust” in someone else’s life while missing all the “dirt” in your own? If so, what will you do to clean up this bad habit?

7. David desired the Lord to give him a “clean heart”. What are some of the things, and who are some of the people, that you need to clean out of yours?

8. When is the last time you asked God to bring things to mind that you need to confess?

9. What is your number 1 dirty little secret that you have to take to God? No need to answer, just take it to Him TODAY!

10. What “dirty” habits/addictions are keeping you from having a more intimate relationship with the Lord? What’s one small step you’ll begin TODAY in ridding yourself of it?

Church, TODAY, determine to spend some time asking God to forgive you of those things that Displease Him. Then Thank Him that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and PURIFY us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Related Scripture References:

Matthew 5:8, “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God” (NLT); “You’re blessed when you get your Inside World – Your Mind and Heart – Put Right. Then you can see God in the outside world” (MSG)

2 Corinthians 5:16-20, “Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” (MSG) 

2 Corinthians 7:1, “Therefore, since we have these [great and wonderful] promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life—a life set apart for God’s purpose] in the fear of God.” (AMP)

Psalm 51, “Generous in love – God, give grace! Huge in mercy – wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down. You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. I’ve been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life. Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise. Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice. Make Zion the place you delight in, repair Jerusalem’s broken-down walls. Then you’ll get real worship from us, acts of worship small and large, Including all the bulls they can heave onto your altar” (MSG)

If there’s anyone who knew how to Come Clean with God, It was King David! Follow His Lead, I Am!

“Some often repent, yet never reform; they resemble a man traveling in a dangerous path, who frequently starts and stops, but never turns back.” {Bonnell Thornton} 

“God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them, but to cleanse them.” {James H. Aughey} 

“When I come clean about my brokenness, others catch glimpses of how the real grace of a real God works in the messy life of a real person.” {Jason Gray} 

“Regardless of what’s happened in your past, God gives you a new start today. A chance to start over to come clean and be pure the rest of your life.” {Rick Warren} 

“One of the great blessings of justification is a clean conscience before God.” {Kevin DeYoung} 

“When you come into the presence of a Holy God, you can not possibly be okay with your sin. You have two choices – run and hide, or come clean.” {Israel Wayne} 

“When God forgives us, we are forgiven. When God cleanses us, we are made clean. That is a cause for great celebration.” {R.C. Sproul} 

“God pours His oil into clean vessels!” {Jentezen Franklin} 

“Grace is God’s best idea. Rather than tell us to change, He creates the change. Do we clean up so God can accept us? No, He accepts us and begins cleaning us up.” {Max Lucado} 

“You don’t need to clean up your life to come to Christ. Come to Christ and He will clean up your life.” {Greg Laurie} 

“God looks at the Clean Hands, not the full ones.” {Publilius Syrus} 

“God doesn’t seek for Golden Vessels, and does not ask for Silver ones, but He must have Clean ones.” {Dwight L. Moody} 

“How grimy did God get when He reached down to clean you up? How grimy are you willing to get in order to be an imitator of God?” {Max Lucado} 

“Nobody else can give you a clean heart, But God.” {Leonard Ravenhill} 

“God’s ability to clean things up is infinitely greater than our ability to mess things up.” {Tullian Tchividjian} 

“Even in our most diligent efforts to live the gospel, all of us will make mistakes, and all of us will sin. What a comforting assurance it is to know that through our Savior’s redeeming sacrifice, we can be forgiven and made clean again.” {Ann M. Dibb} 

“In the Israelite encampment, even though there were iniquities, sins, and wickedness, God did not see any of them because the blood of bulls and goats, which they offered up to the Lord daily, covered the children of Israel. How much more true that is for us today, we who are washed clean forever by the Blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, our beautiful Savior.” {Joseph Prince}

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #BeClean
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “What Your Feet Are Saying About Your Health?”

“Carry God Correctly!”

2 Samuel 6:3, “And they set the ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abindab, drove the new cart.” (AMP)                     

For those of you desiring to be a True Soul Winner for God, then the First Key you must remember is to Carry God Correctly!  

God cannot be sprayed on like cologne, used as a scent to cover up our sinful stench! Nor can He be used like a credit card, hidden, and taken out only when needed to be used! No, God Must Live IN You and Through You! 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who LIVES WITHIN YOU, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him IN your body.” (AMP).

Truth is, it’s getting really hard for the people of God to be Effective in reaching out to the world because the world is starting to believe in their own Form of Righteousness and even though they have No Commitment to God, they believe that they are heaven bound anyhow! Now, this is going to step on some Sanctified Toes, but the Truth of the Matter Is: This is the Churches Fault! 2 Timothy 3:5, “For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].” (AMP).

Church, We have made So Many Excuses For Ourselves, And Them, going after Money Instead of Deliverance or Preaching Feel Good Messages Instead of Preaching the Total Truth, that Now, the World is Walking Alongside the Church As If They Are Okay! However, the Word of God Has Commanded Us: “So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor.” (2 Corinthians 6:17 AMP). 

When we Hide the Truth, We Give No Reason For Change To The World! Which is why we have to Always Remember at All Times, Believers Don’t Blend!

Again the Church Is Commanded: 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial [the devil]? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? What agreement [can there be between] a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (AMP). 

Understand This: When We Are “Of” The World, Then We Promote It And Cause the World to Accept a Form of Godliness, Instead of a Godly Lifestyle! It’s All About How WE (THE CHURCH) Carry God In Our Daily Lives, PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY! The World Should See a Distinctive Difference Between Us and Them. Our Homes, Families, Character, Integrity, Work Ethics, Dress Attire, Habits, Lifestyle, Should All Send a Clear Message Between Light and Dark, Clean and Unclean, Holy and Unholy, Saved and Unsaved, Believer, and Unbeliever! Church, Let’s Come Out of Acting Like the World, So We Can Bring the World Into the Church! We Can’t Help Them When Our Behavior is No Different From Them.

Listen: In this passage of Scripture, we find a group of people that are Trying to Carry God’s Ark (Which Represents His Presence), BUT They Did Not Follow His Commandments!

Let me say it like this: These guys Decided to Put God on a Vehicle and Carry Him to a Certain Place. HOWEVER, God Commanded that They Carry Him By the Hands of the Sanctified Levites and that They Carry Him By the Handles that were Attached to it! BUT, They Came Up With the Bright Idea to Place Him On a Cart and Drive Him By Oxen! Well, when the cart hit a bump, the Ark Got Off Balance and Uzzah Reached Out to Stabilize it. When He Touched It, He Was Struck Dead On the Spot! But the Moral of This Story Is Not that Uzzah Touched the Ark of God, BUT the Whole PROCESS of Carrying the Ark was WRONG!

Church, in case you didn’t know, Disobedience Leads to Death and Dethroning! Just Ask Saul! “Then Samuel said, Do you think all GOD wants are sacrifices—empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what GOD tells you is far worse than following around in the occult. Getting self-important around GOD is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to GOD’s command, he says No to your kingship.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23 MSG).

Amazing, You Can Either Have It All Or Lose It All And It All Simply Depends On Obedience!

God Did Not Want Them to Carry Him Like That! Then Uzzah reached out and tried to Help God, BUT He Shouldn’t Have Been Carrying God Like That In the First Place! Even Though Their Motives Were Good, the Process of Getting God to the People Was Wrong! And That’s What We Must Remember Today! If We Are Going to Reach the Lost, We Have to Carry God Correctly!

2 Corinthians 5:16-20, “Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s Representatives. God Uses Us to Persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re Speaking For Christ Himself Now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” (MSG).

In A Neat Little Nutshell: You Can’t Convert Them Into a Right Relationship With God, Carrying Him Wrong!

Listen: As Christ’s Representatives, We Can’t Afford to Mix God Up in Our Selfish Agendas, NO, We Must Stick to the Bible and Understand How He Wants Us to Walk in This World!

“See then that ye Walk Circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.” (Ephesians 5:15). The Word “Circumspectly” means to be “Cautious and Prudent” Its Latin Origin “Circumspectus”, from “Circumspicere” literally means to “Look Around”. In other words, whether it be in your thoughts, words, actions, motives, intentions, or attitude, Be Cautious and Prudent, Take the Time to Look Around You, there is a Whole World Watching How You Walk! And Many will either stay the same, change for the better, or change for the worse, Simply and Literally By Watching How You Walk!

“Prudent” means “Acting with or showing care and thought for the future”; Its Latin Origin “Prudens”, from “Providens” literally means “Forseeing” As a part of witnessing, it is our job as the church not to see people (unbelievers) as they are Currently, but as they Can Be In Christ! We have the ability to Forsee Them Being Saved, Sanctified, Healed, Delivered and Changed! Therefore, we walk in such a manner as not to foolishly hinder what could be a fruitful future for them in the Kingdom! Which means, we must take such care in our walk because they are watching and will thereby imitate…For Better Or For Worse!

Think of it this way: A small child learning how to put their shoes on needs assistance, teaching, direction and an example shown because of their lack of knowledge in how this is to be done. And looking to an adult, who they believe knows all about this stuff, obviously, they come to us to show them how to do it. Can you imagine if we told them the left shoe goes on the right foot, and the right shoe goes on the left foot? Sounds comical, but do you know that they’re going to do it! Why? Because they trust that what We Tell Them and Show Them Is Correct! After all, why would we, who supposedly love them, want to tell and show them something that is not only wrong, but painful, and which can eventually lead to a difficult walk and deformity?

However, the truth is, that’s exactly what we, the church, has been doing to the world! We’ve been telling them one thing and doing another! And in confusion, they’re doing both…what we say and what we do, and then we’re wondering why are they so screwed up and confused…BUT WE CAUSED IT!

And while we’re talking about teaching people to walk right, there’s another little thing to keep in mind. As parents, we often check our children’s feet and shoes as they grow older because we always want them to be in the Appropriate Size! Likewise, don’t just get the “glad glads” when someone comes to Christ and then just leave them at the altar! Babes in Christ are no different than Babies, to Children, To Teens, To Young Adults, To Adults. They need help throughout all their stages of life and growth! Teach them throughout each Transition! Listen, you can’t get mad when they’re 16 and still struggling trying to walk in the same size shoe as when they were 6, when you never properly taught them how to grow out of it! You see, the danger is that once a person does something consistently (be it right or wrong), it develops into a habit, and that habit (be it good or bad) will become their normal way of life. So, if we tell the world to put out their cigarettes, get rid of the bottle, flush the drugs, we better make sure those things have already been delivered from us! Because when we compromise before the world, we compromise the eternity of the world. We can’t tell them to start a new way of life, when we haven’t stopped our old way of living. In addition, we can’t set low standards that say you can cuss (just not on Sundays); you can drink, get high, and smoke 2 packs a day (just not on Bible Study nights); you can fornicate, commit adultery, lie, steal, cheat, be unforgiving and spiteful (just not when you see other believers around). We have to stand out so distinctively it makes the world come to us asking questions! Which is why you don’t see an influx of unbelievers visiting churches. For what? When what’s going on within the 4 walls of the church is the same thing going on within the 4 walls of the club! Why would they come to church to learn how to live right, when we’re comfortable living wrong? Church, we have to do and be better. We have to set the bar as high as God’s character and integrity, especially since we’re going around using His Name (Christ) to describe ourselves (Christians)! My former pastor used to say, ‘bring no shame to the family name.’ Well, if you were charged for bringing shame to the Kingdom of God family name, would you be found innocent or guilty? And yes, that includes your public AND private life!

It’s our job to make sure that unbelievers come to Christ, and it’s our job to continue walking with them along their journey! However, that is difficult to do when we keep changing up the rules of Salvation depending on the Circumstance of Life we find ourselves in! We can’t call what they do sin on Saturday, when we do the same thing on Monday. We Can’t Compromise the Characteristics of Christ that Should Be Evident in Every Believers Life and Lifestyle.

Remember This: Carrying Christ Requires Consistency!

We must learn to consistently walk in such a manner that our testimony is the same as Enoch’s: “And Enoch walked [in Habitual Fellowship] With God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him].” (Genesis 5:24 AMP).  And this isn’t a Sunday Walk either! Enoch’s Walk With God Was “Habitual”, meaning it was: “Done Constantly as a Habit; It was his usual or his regular, daily, consistently unbroken routine”! Now that’s a walk, in the words of the Apostle Paul, that is “worthy to be imitated”!

Church, To Carry God Correctly, We Must Walk Circumspectly! God Wants Us to Walk With Him and Carry Him Within Ourselves So that He May Be Shown Mighty In Our Own Lives! God Wants Us So Full of Him that We Can Just Walk Up to a Sinner and he will See God’s Glory Shining Through Us!

After All, If We’re Really Spending Quality Time Walking With God, Talking With God and Carrying God, There Should Be Manifested Evidence of the Fact, Shouldn’t It? It was for Moses: “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the two Tablets of The Testimony, he didn’t know that the SKIN OF HIS FACE GLOWED BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN SPEAKING WITH GOD. Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, SAW HIS RADIANT FACE, and held back, afraid to get close to him. Moses called out to them. Aaron and the leaders in the community came back and Moses talked with them. Later all the Israelites came up to him and he passed on the commands, everything that GOD had told him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face, but when he went into the Presence of GOD to Speak with Him, he removed the veil until he came out. When he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, THEY WOULD SEE MOSES’ FACE, ITS SKIN GLOWING, and then he would again put the veil on his face until he went back to Speak With GOD.” (Exodus 34:29-35 MSG). 

People of God, the World is looking to see the Glow of His Glory on Us, NOT the Form of Godliness Through Us! Therefore, Today Determine To Carry God And His Glory Correctly!

God Is Tired of Us Hiding In the Church or Using Our “Ministry” as a Cart to Carry Him Instead of Us Carrying Him Personally! The Day of Trying to Get Sinners to Church to get them Saved Is Over! We Must Be Full of God’s Spirit and Reach the Lost at Our Jobs, in our Homes, at the Supermarket, in the Laundromat, on line at the Bank, Walking through the Park and our Neighborhoods, Just Because He Is Shown Mighty in Our Personal Lives! If We Walk Right Before Them, They Will Know the True and Living God! If Signs and Wonders Really Follow Us (Healing, Miracles, Deliverance, etc.) then They Will Know the Power of God and Desire It! Our Man-Made Schemes of Reaching the World are Not Important! God Will Reach the Lost If We Just Lend Him Our Members and Show Him In Our Daily Walk! Don’t Get Caught Up In a Man-Made Plan to Carry God in Any Method Other Than the Way the Word of God Tells Us To!

After all, what will it Profit the World to See Us Carrying God the Way They Carry Godlessness?

Saints, There Must Be a Difference Between Us and Them! A Clear Distinction! Exodus 8:20-23, “God said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes down to the water. Tell him, ‘God’s Message: Release my people so they can worship me. If you don’t release my people, I’ll release swarms of flies on you, your servants, your people, and your homes. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground under their feet will be thick with flies. BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS, I’LL SET GOSHEN WHERE MY PEOPLE LIVE ASIDE AS A SANCTUARY – NO FLIES IN GOSHEN. THAT WILL SHOW YOU THAT I AM GOD IN THIS LAND. I’LL MAKE A SHARP DISTINCTION BETWEEN YOUR PEOPLE AND MINE. This sign will occur tomorrow.’” (MSG)

IT IS MY BELIEF THAT GOD STILL WANTS HIS PEOPLE DISTINCT FROM THE WORLD AROUND THEM! SO THE QUESTION YOU NEED TO ASK AND ANSWER IS: “IS MY CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE DISTINCT FROM THE WORLD OR HARD TO DIFFERENTIATE FROM IT?!”

2 Samuel 6:6-7, “When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out [with his hand] to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen [stumbled and] nearly overturned it.  And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.” (AMP) Trying to help, cost him his life. And all because he put his hands on the ark he wasn’t supposed to touch. An ark that was being carried incorrectly. Can you imagine if that was God’s response to us every time we carried Him incorrectly or represented Him in a manner inconsistent with His Character? How much of the Church would be left alive?

Sadly, Uzzah would never have lost his life had the ark been carried correctly. Saints, we have to remember that there are always consequences to our choices. And if we choose to haphazardly carry God incorrectly, He will chastise the children in whom He loves. But who’s to say what that chastisement might be? And do you really want to compromise and chance it? Truthfully, we’ve all missed out on much due to our disobedience. Not to mention, this side of heaven, we’ll never know how many people we led astray by our contrary behavior.

Lastly, we preach, teach and pray that these are the end times and the last days. Well, wouldn’t you say then that it’s vital that the church gets her act together? After all, lives, souls and eternity are hanging in the balance. And our obedience can tip the scales in the Kingdom’s favor. That’s Why We Must Stay Obedient to Him In Order to Win the Lost! For We Dare Not Carry God So Carelessly That the World Declares “…You ALMOST Persuaded Me…” (Acts 26:28)

‘Almost’ is defined as, ‘very nearly; borderline; partially; just about; within an inch of.’ And in these last days and end times, is that the report we intend to give to God? That our inconsistent lifestyles of straddling the fence, caused people to miss heaven by a borderline?! People who were very near to accepting you, they were partially there, just about, within an inch of making it in, until they saw how we act out! Listen, I can’t speak for you, but that is NOT the report I intend to give God!

So, Church, let’s not lose anymore Uzzahs! Let’s Carry God the Way He’s Already Commanded Us to. Let’s be His clean, and honorable vessels that He can pour into and out of. Let’s make sure our habits, behavior, attitude, speech, attire, lifestyle choices all reflect a good representation of God. Let’s remember we’re created in His image and likeness, we’re His Ambassadors, we are Christians, called by His Name, we are Disciples of Christ, we are children of God, and representatives of heaven, we are the called out ones, we are the CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD! Now, let’s act like it!

Remember, the world is watching our walk, let’s make sure we don’t trip them up!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Workout Injuries: How to Treat and Prevent Them?”

“Rest is NOT a Sin!”

Mark 6:30-32, “The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; LET’S TAKE A BREAK AND GET A LITTLE REST.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat. So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves…” (MSG).

The Bible speaks in a negative way about “IDLENESS”. After all, it’s defined as, “avoiding work; lazy; not in use; having no purpose or basis; doing nothing of relevance.” Its Old English origin literally means, ‘empty and useless.’

The Bible says this in Proverbs 6:6-11, “Go to the ant, you Sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O Sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber – So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man” (NKJV). The Message Bible says it like this: “You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!” (MSG)

Note: This is not in reference to those who are working, but to those who are not! They haven’t even tried! Don’t’ even give a little bit of effort. Never making the slightest of attempts! This speaks of those who are idle, those who avoid work, those who are lazy, not in use, floating through life with no purpose or basis to their existence, accomplishing absolutely nothing that has any relevance. They’re called lazy, foolish sluggards who in the end can only look forward to a dirt-poor life with poverty being their permanent houseguest! Saints, make sure this is NOT descriptive of you! Do not attempt to use REST as your excuse for LAZINESS!  

Then 1 Timothy 5:13 goes on to say, “And besides they learn to be Idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only Idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not” (NKJV). Of all the things you can learn in life, make sure idleness is not the subject you pass with flying colors! You see those who are idle have nothing of value to share with anybody. All they have is gossip because they’ve learned to become busybodies, who are only busy running their mouths! And you have to be careful around people like that because the Bible says they go from house to house! Make sure they don’t visit yours! These are the wrong guests to entertain!

The Bible Refers to those who are “LAZY” by such loathsome words as “Slothful,” “Sluggard,” and “Slack Hand”! Saints, we do not want our names listed in these categories! Therefore, before you talk about REST make sure you’re one who has earned it, and not one who uses it as an EXCUSE for Laziness and Idleness! God will not confuse the two when He hands out blessings and curses, so I suggest you likewise not confuse the two!

Now, the Bible Refers Very Positively about LABOR and WORK in the following Scriptures:

Luke 10:7, “Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because Workers Are Worth What They Earn. Don’t move around from house to house” (CEV);

1 Corinthians 3:8-9, “The one who Plants is just as important as the one who Waters. And each one will be Paid For What They Do. Apollos and I Work Together For God, and You are God’s Garden and God’s Building” (CEV);

Ephesians 4:28, “If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and Work Hard, so you will Have Something to Give to People In Need” (CEV);

1 Thessalonians 4:11, “Try your best to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to Work Hard, Just As We Taught You To Do” (CEV). 

Given the Admonition that we are to work six days and rest one (Exodus 34:21, “Do your Work in Six Days and REST On the Seventh Day…” CEV), we might conclude that the Bible is about all work and no fun. However, that is far from the truth!  

Jesus Expected His Disciples to “Come Aside” periodically for REST, and Scripture has repeated references to the Benefits of “Making Merry”:

Proverbs 15:13, 15, “A Merry Heart Maketh a Cheerful Countenance…but he that is of a Merry Heart Hath a Continual Feast”;

Proverbs 17:22, “A Merry Heart Doeth Good Like a Medicine…”;

Luke 15:32, “It was meet that we should Make Merry, and Be Glad…” 

The Bible speaks of More than Seventy Days a Year in which “No Customary Work” is to be done!

Leviticus 23:7-8, “In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do No Servile Work Therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do No Servile Work Therein”. That word ‘servile’ is defined as, ‘excessively willing to serve or please others; of or characteristic of a slave or slaves.’ Its Latin origin ‘servilis’, from ‘servus’ literally means ‘slave.’ In other words, this rest break was speaking of those who actually did Work! And by its definition they worked hard, as hard as slaves, excessively willing to serve and please others. There’s been times when we’ve all worked our hearts out on projects, only to attempt to sit down, and before our behind could hit the cushion, another assignment was given! And yet, as hard as we are to work, God let’s us know that we are not to ALWAYS, ALL THE TIME, WORK! There are times when you are to take a break and get a little rest! Especially since rest is NOT a Sin!

The seven-day feasts that mark Passover, Tabernacles, and Weeks, as well as the Feast of Trumpets, and every Sabbath Day Are Included in this time of rest where no servile work is to be done!

In addition to Rest and Prayer, Leisure days in the Bible are associated with food, gift-giving, singing, and great joy: Revelation 11:10, “And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth”.  

A time of Rest from work is Advocated for those who are experiencing grief: Matthew 14:10-13, “So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard it, He Departed From There By Boat To a Deserted Place By Himself…” (NKJV).  

It is Advocated for those who are seeking Spiritual Empowerment to do God’s Will: Matthew 4:1, 11, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (NKJV).  

It is Advocated for those who are entering into an intense period of Prayer: Matthew 14:23, “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He Went Up On the Mountain By Himself to Pray. Now When Evening Came, He Was Alone There” (NKJV).  

And it is Advocated for those who are Newly Married: Deuteronomy 24:5, “When a man has taken a New Wife, he shall Not go out to War or be Charged with Any Business; he shall be Free at Home One Year, and bring Happiness to his Wife whom he has taken” (NKJV). [That last one might’ve saved a lot of ministry marriages if we had simply applied it!]  

Listen, keep this in mind: The word “Leisure” means “Time Spent in or free for Relaxation or Enjoyment”. Its Origin is the Old French word “Leisir” from the Latin word “Licere” which means to “Be Allowed”. People of God, Allow Yourself Leisure Time! You’ve Earned It, You Deserve It, You Need It, and Most Importantly, the Bible Commands It! Yes, the Bible is indeed in favor of those who Labor and Work Hard! But Likewise the Word is Not Silent Regarding the Leisure Time of Rest and Play that is Needed to Balance Out the Believers Life! So keep your 50/50 Balance in Life, Work and Play, and Enjoy a Long, Healthy Life!

Understand this: You Will Never Renew Until You Rest! And what does the Bible say about Rest? “And He said to them, [As for you] come away by yourselves to a deserted place, and REST A WHILE – for many were [continually] coming and going, and they had not even leisure enough to eat” (Mark 6:31 AMP).

One of the hardest things to do for many of us, especially in leadership, is to “take a break” without feeling guilty and selfish; or worse, feeling like a failure because everything on your “to do” list didn’t get done. Here’s a news flash: There Will Always Be More To Do! There will always be more deadlines, meetings, appointments, assignments, etc. Which is why one of your biggest challenges will be learning the difference between setting high standards for yourself – and setting unrealistic, impossible ones! Think about it: It’s hard enough trying to make time to get done what you NEED to get done, but that doesn’t compare to the sheer exhaustion of attempting to do something you were never assigned to do in the first place! Therefore, in order to get a handle on your schedule, erase anything non-essential that you’ve penciled in yourself! Truth is, many of us are running around all over the place, completely exhausted and spent, ignoring our loved ones, burned out, miserable, and all because we’re doing more than God ever assigned to our hands! Therefore, here’s some homework for you. Sit down with a pen, pad and your schedule, and make sure you’re supposed to be doing all the stuff you’ve been doing! Remove your unnecessary agenda entries and rearrange your hectic schedule! And I’ll even take it further. Sit yourself down from the committees, auxiliaries, ministries, and leadership positions that God never told you to accept! Have enough maturity to go to your leaders and be honest that you added more to your plate than you can digest in a healthy manner. Learn to tell people ‘no’ without excuse or explanation! Stop over-committing yourself! Stop allowing people to guilt you into stuff! Take your hands off all the stuff God never entrusted you to hold! And know that sometimes success means knowing when to get somewhere and sit down!

Because to make matters worse, we often claw our way to our idea of success only to discover that we don’t like the pressures that go with it. So what should we do? Learn to Walk Away! Jesus Did! “The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; LET’S TAKE A BREAK AND GET A LITTLE REST.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat. So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves…” (Mark 6:30-32 MSG).

Jesus understood that if you don’t take a break – You’ll Break! And isn’t that the truth for many of us? We have such busy schedules and long to-do lists that we rarely get a chance to even eat. And even when we do eat, it’s late and definitely not what we should be eating! Which leads us to a whole new list of problems with bad dieting, over-weight, sickness, ailments and disease. Which only adds on to those problems by adding painful bodies, multiple medications and expensive doctor visits! And the vicious cycle goes on and on.

And what is Jesus Advice: “…LET’S TAKE A BREAK AND GET A LITTLE REST.” 

And what does the word “Rest” mean? “To cease work or movement in order to relax or recover strength; allowed to be inactive in order to regain or save strength or energy.” Do you notice the blessings in rest from this description? For one, you Recover and Regain Strength! You see, Exhaustion Wears You Out! It Drains You of Strength and Weakens You, Inside and Out! In fact, the word “Exhaust” means “to tire out completely.” Its Latin Origin “Exhaurire” literally means “Drain Out”. Now please explain to me how can you be of any good use to your family, friends, job, business, ministry or even to yourself if you’re Completely Tired and Drained Out?! You Can’t! Which is why it’s so important for you to know when to Take a Break! Remember, you can’t Give what you don’t Got! (Bad grammar, but good point!) No one can Drink from you if you’re always Drained! The word ‘drain’ is defined as, ‘to cause to run out; to become dry; to deprive of strength and resources; to empty of content; to be used up.’ I reiterate, No One Can Drink From You If You’re Always Drained, Dry, Deprived, Weak, Empty and Used Up!

Saints, Rest is NOT a Sin, It’s a Necessity!

Another added blessing from the definition of ‘Rest’ is that you become Inactive! Many would consider that a negative, but actually it’s not all that bad. One of the definitions of “Inactive” is simply “Not currently being used.” And this can be for your own good! Truth is, sometimes you don’t know how much you do until you stop doing it! And that’s a truth for those around you too who are accustomed to you doing everything! Sometimes you need to stop, so someone else can start! You’ll never know what those around you are capable of if you don’t give them the opportunity to show you. You my friend, as gifted, anointed, blessed, and talented as you are, you are still NOT God. You are here to Represent Him, NOT Be Him! You can’t be everybody’s everything, and then wonder why you have nothing left for yourself! My pastor loves to say, “Stop Giving Away What You Need to Keep for Yourself!” And maybe it’s time you heed that advice also. Maybe it’s time you spend an inactive season, where you’re not being used, and it’s okay! Elijah thought he was the only one too, until God Himself let him know He had 7,000 additional servants! 1 Kings 19:13-18, “When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, “So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?” Elijah said it again, “I’ve been working my heart out for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.” God said, “Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king over Aram. Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel. Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. Meanwhile, I’m preserving for myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven’t bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven’t kissed his image.” (MSG) Like Elijah, I know you’re working your heart out for God, and it feels like since you’re doing Everything, you are the only servant God has, but I assure you, you are not all God has left! God has other servants that can do what you do, and several who can do it better. So, believe me when I tell you, taking an ‘inactive season’ off duty will not depress God, nor cause the heavens to go into chaos, it will not rob the angels of an assignment, it will not give advantage to hell, and it will not stop the spreading of the Gospel nor the building up of the Kingdom of God, nor will it kill the Body of Christ! Saints, Rest is NOT a Sin! Trust me, you will not lose your Standing in God if you go somewhere for a season and Sit Down!  

Another blessing you reap from the definition of ‘Rest’ is that You also Regain Energy! Rest is like a Vitamin, You Should Take it Daily and Take a Supplement Too If Need be! The word “Energy” is defined as “The strength and vitality required for sustained activity.” It’s Greek Origin “Energeia”, from “Ergon” literally means “Work”. When you REST you become Re-Energized! So When You Go Back to Work, Your Strength is Sustained! And “Sustained” comes from the Latin Origin “Sustinere”, from “Tenere” which means “To Hold”. You see, once you get some REST, then you get back to work you’ll be able to hold yourself together because you took the simple time to re-energize! It’s hard to hold yourself together when you feel like you’re being torn in 20 different directions at the same time! That’s why it’s so easy for us to fall apart, because we’re too exhausted and weak to hold ourselves together. People of God, rest is vital! REST is a Blessing! So, don’t under-estimate it, don’t devalue it, don’t disregard it, don’t over-look it! GET IT! And like medicine, take it in the right doses so you can recover!

The last blessing from the definition of ‘Rest’ is that you become Relaxed! And “Relax” means “to make or become less tense, anxious, or rigid; rest from work or engage in a recreational activity.” It’s Latin Origin “Relaxare”, from “Laxus” literally means “To Loose”. In other words, if you want to get a hold on things…Relax and Loosen Up! I know you’re gifted, talented, anointed, awesome, powerful and everyone loves you and wants you apart of everything they do, however if you don’t take a break…you will break! And in order for you NOT to break down, you have to break up your schedule! Balance it out! Have your meetings, but go out for a meal with the family too. Nail that presentation, but go get your nails done too. Coordinate that event, but get your 5 year old niece and enjoy a coloring book too. You have to have balance if you are going to avoid toppling over!

Which is why you should:

1…Make a list of the things that only YOU can do, then delegate the rest or let them go. Not every piece of mail that comes to the house has your name on it! So stop taking other people’s mail and stop acting like your middle name is “occupant”! You can’t do it all no matter how awesome you are or think you are. And if you are in the company of those you can’t trust to delegate work to, you’re about to go out of business anyhow;

2…Learn to make small steps and celebrate small accomplishments for that’s what life is made of. If you only get 2 things done on your list of 20, eat a piece of chocolate and be happy! You at least accomplished something, there are many who didn’t even take the time to write a to-do list out, let alone do anything on it;

3…Don’t allow the stuff that’s still undone, to undo you. By God’s grace and mercy we see another tomorrow. And as long as He has work for you to do, you will continue to see another tomorrow. And when you don’t, you can still rejoice because your work here is done and you’re off to receive your reward. Remember Jeremiah 29:11, God’s plan is not for you to have a plan, a back-up plan or a plan B! Simply do what needs to be done, and what’s left undone, leave for tomorrow. God knows what needs to be accomplished in each day. And He certainly knows your future, so stop letting today stress you, you have a promising future ahead, it will get done, trust God day by day, He has a great, unstoppable plan for your life. No More Worrying! Matthew 6:30-34, “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers – most of which are never seen – don’t you think He’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do His best for you? What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and how the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (MSG);

4…Strive for balance; don’t even become addicted to what you enjoy. For instance, some of us have a tendency to even turn good things into disasters. It’s great that you love your job, but you can’t have a wife and three kids at home and get home at midnight 7 days a week! Balance is always the order of the day. And the word “Balance” is defined as “an even distribution of weight ensuring stability”. To have a stable life, keep your scales between work and play even;

5…Don’t allow overachievers to put you into overdrive. You’re in it for the long haul. You win when you pace yourself. Competition kills! So stop peeking over at the agendas of others. You have no idea what they HAVE to do. To Have Great Insight, Simply Keep Your Eyes On Your Own Vision;

6…Take time for the people who matter most, otherwise you’ll lose them. Busyness is a destroyer of relationships/friendships. And truth is, all the success in the world won’t compensate for the joy and treasure of your family and loved ones! Always keep the main thing the main thing, and the main thing will always be your loved ones First!

People of God, It’s Vital That You Learn How to Walk Away, Take a Break and Rest! Believe it or not, but there’s a Blessing in REST! However, You Don’t Want Rest In Peace to Be the Only Blessing You Get! Remember, JESUS is an Advocate of REST! Therefore, Your Challenge is Simple: Take a Break and Get a Little REST!

Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a REAL REST. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (MSG)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #TakeABreak #RestALittleWhile
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “How You’re Wrecking Your Hair?”

“What’s Your Motive?”

John 21:15, “…Jesus said to Simon Peter,…do you love Me more than these?…”  (NKJV)

Gerbils are pretty funny creatures and they’re extremely predictable too. At least, the one my cousin had as a pet sure was. When I checked in on him in his little cage upstairs, he was almost always doing the same thing – The Wheel. There he was, just chugging away, running on his little gerbil wheel. If you went back a few hours later, what would he be on? You guessed it, The Wheel. If I had spoken “Gerbilese,” I would have pointed out that even though he was expending a lot of consistent energy, HE STILL WASN’T GOING ANYWHERE! Sadly, even if I would’ve given him such advice, you know what he would’ve continued to do? You guessed it! He would continue running fast on The Wheel that was going Nowhere!

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” (Albert Einstein).

In speaking of ‘spiritual gerbils’, these next few moments are dedicated to a special group of people, I call them – Really Busy Christians or for a better and more accurate terminology: “Church Gerbils”. Many of whom are, unknowingly, ‘spiritual gerbils’ running faster and faster on a wheel, but often really not going anywhere because they’re doing a lot of the right things for a lot of the wrong reasons.

“No matter how brilliant an action, it should not be considered great unless it was the result of a great motive.” (Francois De La Rochefoucauld).

The right reason to be serving is plainly spelled out in the Word of God, where Jesus asks what is probably the most important question He ever asked. After Peter’s triple denial of his Lord and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, Jesus calls him aside for a man-to-man talk in John 21, beginning in verse 15. And here’s the question: “Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon…do you truly love Me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love You.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed My lambs.’” Jesus goes on to ask His question a second time, and then a third. “Jesus said, ‘Simon…do you love Me?’ Peter said, ‘Lord…You know that I love You.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed My sheep.’” Jesus didn’t ask, “Why did you fail Me?” or “Will you work for Me?” All He wanted to know was “Do you love Me?”

That’s all He wants to know from you as well – “Do you love Me?”

Notice that the assignment, “Feed My sheep,” comes only after Jesus is sure, and Peter is sure, that he’s doing it for love and no other reason!

“It’s motive alone which gives character to the actions of men.” (Jean de la Bruyere).

Which leads to the inevitable question about your spiritual service. What are you doing it for?

Basically, there are three reasons people do Christian things: duty, recognition, or love. And the first two don’t count!

“In the fulfillment of your duties, let your intentions be so pure that you reject from your actions any other motive than the glory of God and the salvation of souls.” (Angela Merici).

But maybe you’ve been busy for God mostly out of a sense of DUTY. Well, I’m here to tell you, from experience, that’s why you’re easily frustrated, often depleted, and way too stressed out! It’s a spiritual gerbil wheel you’re running on! You’re Martha, fulfilling all your responsibilities, but you’re neglecting your relationship with Jesus! And the relationship matters way more to Jesus than the responsibilities!

Listen to the Bible: “As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.” The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 MSG). In a Nutshell: Stop Fussing and Focus! Don’t allow your duties to distract you from your relationship with the Lord. Mary and Martha both had the same opportunity, but only one took advantage of it. I mean, can you imagine having Jesus in Your House?! And yet, you’re focused on cooking food and washing dishes. But you have the presence of Jesus of all people in your midst, wouldn’t you want to take the time out to listen to Him? To sit with Him? To converse with Him? To learn from Him? Well, that can be true of many of us in church. We preach, we teach, we lead, we oversee the ministers, are on the choir, taking notes for the missionary meeting, checking the sound system, etc. And not realizing that in all of that busyness, our prayer time with the Lord suffers because we don’t have time to talk to Jesus when our duties keep calling! Remember, when Jesus raptures His church, He’s coming for YOU, not your degrees, initials, titles, positions, gifts, anointing, popularity, not even your perfectionism. He’s coming for the one He has a Relationship with! Therefore, if Jesus returned today, would you be in a position to leave with Him? Or would you find yourself as unprepared as the 5 foolish virgins?

Matthew 25:1-13, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish [thoughtless, silly, and careless], and five were wise [far-sighted, practical, and sensible].  For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil along with their lamps.  Now while the bridegroom was delayed, they all began to nod off, and they fell asleep.  But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! The bridegroom [is coming]! Go out to meet him.’  Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order [trimmed the wicks and added oil and lit them].  But the foolish virgins said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’  But the wise replied, ‘No, otherwise there will not be enough for us and for you, too; go instead to the dealers and buy oil for yourselves.’  But while they were going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut and locked.  Later the others also came, and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open [the door] for us.’  But He replied, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I do not know you [WE HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP].’  Therefore, be on the alert [be prepared and ready], for you do not know the day nor the hour [when the Son of Man will come].” (MSG)

Can you imagine being like a Martha on that day? Lord, I did all of this STUFF just for You, I kept busy non-stop, just for You! Surely on that day, you’ll let me, of all people, in! But then to only hear the words, WE HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP! Sounds a lot like Matthew 7:21-23, “Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’” (MSG) People of God, don’t get so caught up in the duties of the church that you miss having a relationship with the one Who created it! Don’t get so busy doing stuff, schedules, programs, and agendas, that you foolishly miss the most important appointment of all, when the Lord comes to rapture His church! Listen to Luke 19:41-44, “When the city came into view, he wept over it. “If you had only recognized this day, and everything that was good for you! But now it’s too late. In the days ahead your enemies are going to bring up their heavy artillery and surround you, pressing in from every side. They’ll smash you and your babies on the pavement. Not one stone will be left intact. All this because you didn’t recognize and welcome God’s personal visit.” (MSG). Saints, you don’t want to be found unprepared like the foolish virgins and miss the ultimate moment in time and eternity. You don’t want to be so busy in the Work of God that you miss the Visitation of God! Work for the Lord, sure, but never do so at the expense of your relationship with Him. He didn’t tell the foolish virgins that they couldn’t come in because of the oil, the lamp, or even their foolishness in being found unprepared. No, He didn’t allow them access to a private, intimate feast, because HE HAD NO PRIVATE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM! You’ve Been Warned!

Or maybe for you it’s not about DUTY. Maybe you’re one of those doing it for RECOGNITION. You know, glory-stealing and using what only God should be getting glory for, to get glory for yourself! You’re not doing it because you love the Lord, even if that may be a small factor. But you need to be recognized for what you do for the Lord. You have to hear your name called, you have to be publicly acknowledged, you have to receive the pat on the back, you have to be awarded the trophy and certificate of approval and validation, you have to be seen, you have to be at the center of attention, you have to lead the crowd, you have to have your name signed and stamped on every document because how dare we not notarize the fact that this is YOUR work…for the Lord, of course. However, you must remember what the Word of God says about such actions:

Matthew 6:2-4, “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, BUT THAT’S ALL THEY GET. When you help someone out, DON’T THINK ABOUT HOW IT LOOKS. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.” (MSG)

No matter what you do in the service of the Lord, remember it has nothing to do with who knows, how it looks, the applause or the crowds. But it’s about a humble heart that has learned how to work behind the scenes in love. God doesn’t need a show or a stage, just a servant. Which is why we should always follow Jesus’ example:

Philippians 2:5-8, “Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” (MSG)

In your work for the Lord, would people be able to say this describes you too?

Doing the work of the Lord for duty or for recognition is inevitably going to feel hollow, unsatisfying, exhausting, and frustrating, because you’re supposed to be doing it as an overflow of your love for Jesus! Your not doing it for the ‘well done’ from people, but the ‘well done’ from your Lord! Matthew 25:21, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’” (AMP) Make sure you’re serving the Lord for the Right Reasons, Motives and Intentions, Which Should Always be Purely Out of Love, not out of Duty or Recognition!

Never Allow the Applause of People to Overshadow the Approval of God.

Listen to the following illustration by Kent Crockett, on the difference in serving God based on LEGALISM or LOVE. Be honest with yourself and see which has been your Motivation for serving Him:

“There was once a married couple who didn’t love each other. The day they got married, the husband handed his wife a list of chores for her to follow. He insisted that she do all the tasks on her list every day. The wife worked hard to accomplish her assigned duties, but she was miserable as she performed them. Ironing his clothes, preparing his meals, cleaning house—every task was burdensome. Although she obeyed all his rules, she never enjoyed a loving relationship with her husband. Then one day her husband died. After several years had passed, she fell in love with another man and got married. The new husband never required her to do anything, much less a list of jobs. Instead, he showered her with love and did everything he could to make her happy. One day this wife was joyfully cleaning house when she discovered her first husband’s list of commands tucked away in a drawer. As she read the paper, it dawned on her that she was performing every task on the list, but now she was serving with joy instead of misery. Her love for her second husband inspired her to automatically do the same jobs that her first husband had required. She had served her first husband out of duty, but her second husband out of love. God wants us to serve Him out of jubilation, not obligation. Legalism adds weights to our work, but love gives wings to our service.”

Are you serving Him for the wrong reasons such as duty and recognition or are you serving Him in a manner that brings both you and Him great joy, which is simply serving Him out of Love?

Maybe you started out like most of us, serving Him because you loved Him. But somewhere along the lines, down through the years, what was a joy, has become a gerbil wheel because your reasons for doing it got mixed up. Maybe it’s time to say, “Jesus, I repent of doing the right things for the wrong reasons. I just want to spend the time with You that I need to spend to fall in love with You again.” When you do, then all your spiritual service becomes simply loving Jesus, whether in public or private service. When you serve Him because you simply love Him, the results don’t matter, the responsibilities don’t matter, not even the recognition matters, just as long as you know God is pleased! You certainly don’t want to find yourself at odds with Jesus because you’re serving Him out of Lip Service and not a  Service of Love from the Heart:

“But Jesus put it right back on them. “Why do you use your rules to play fast and loose with God’s commands? God clearly says, ‘Respect your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.’ But you weasel around that by saying, ‘Whoever wants to, can say to father and mother, What I owed to you I’ve given to God.’ That can hardly be called respecting a parent. You cancel God’s command by your rules. Frauds! Isaiah’s prophecy of you hit the bull’s-eye: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it. They act like they’re worshiping me, but they don’t mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy.” (Matthew 15:3-9 MSG).

People of God, stop acting like “Spiritual Gerbils” who are on the wheel of active church work, running non-stop and getting nowhere! Don’t cheapen your relationship with God to make it a “work” you do for Him: The Word of God has already declared: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Serve Him out of an abundance of Gratitude for His abundance of Grace! For you are no longer His servants, but His friends (John 15:11-15, “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.” MSG)

You are also no longer strangers but considered His brothers and sisters as long as you’re doing the Will of the Father (Matthew 12:48-50, “Jesus didn’t respond directly, but said, “Who do you think my mother and brothers are?” He then stretched out his hand toward his disciples. “Look closely. These are my mother and brothers. Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys my heavenly Father’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” MSG).

With Jesus, it’s about Relationships, not rules, regulations, responsibilities, recognition, or even religion!  So if you’re exhausted from all that “running in the same place” church activity, do yourself and your relationship with God a favor and get off the wheel running behind everybody and everything and simply walk with God, for no other reason than you love Him!

Enoch did, and listen to the testimony God has of their Relationship: “So all the days of Enoch were 365 years. And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him].” (Genesis 5:23-24 AMP). “…Enoch walked steadily with God…” (MSG); “…Enoch…walked in close fellowship with God…” (NLT). Imagine the testimony God would give us if we finally got off the spiritual gerbil wheel and simply walked with Him in love?!

Who knew Gerbils could help us get our Relationship with God back on track?! Go figure! Today, determine to put the fire back in your relationship with God, and do it for all the right reasons and motives!

Proverbs 21:2-4, “We justify our actions by appearances; God examines our motives. Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to God than religious performance. Arrogance and pride—distinguishing marks in the wicked—are just plain sin.” (MSG)

1 Thessalonians 2:3-5, “[ No Hidden Agendas ] God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. Be assured that when we speak to you we’re not after crowd approval—only God approval. Since we’ve been put through that battery of tests, you’re guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you.” (MSG)

Revelation 2:20-23, “…Then every church will know that appearances don’t impress me. I x-ray every motive and make sure you get what’s coming to you.” (MSG)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Eye Mistakes You Could Be Making!”

“The Benefit and Blessing of Circumcision!”

Joshua 5:8, “And after the whole nation had been Circumcised, they remained where they were in camp Until They Were Healed.” (NIV)

BEFORE the nation of Israel could go into the Promised Land…THEY HAD TO BE CIRCUMCISED FIRST! 

Circumcision is Painful, Bloody, and Personal…However, For the BELIEVER…SPIRITUAL CIRCUMCISION IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! 

God REQUIRES each of us to be Circumcised IN HEART BEFORE we are allowed to enter and receive the blessings that await each believer in the Promised Land!

Circumcision can often be very Painful But it’s always Purposeful! 

Circumcision requires losing our old way of life! And when you look at circumcision in the Natural, what is Cut Away is neither Kept, Reused, or Put Back In Place! IT’S COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY DISCARDED…NEVER TO BE REATTACHED AGAIN!

Can you imagine if we had our LIFESTYLES CIRCUMCISED…TO THE EXTENT THAT NOTHING THAT WAS CUT AWAY EVER REATTACHES AGAIN??!!

CAN YOU IMAGINE HAVING THAT NASTY ATTITUDE CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN?! THAT DISOBEDIENT NATURE CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN? THAT LUSTFUL SPIRIT CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN? THAT PERVERSE MOUTH CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN? THAT BOASTFUL, PRIDEFUL, ARROGANT, CONCEITED, ENTITLED DEMEANOR CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN?! THOSE CORRUPT COMPANIONS, ASSOCIATES AND FRIENDS CIRCUMCISED THAT THEY NEVER REATTACH AGAIN? THAT JUDGMENTAL, CRITICIZING, CONDESCENDING, BELITTLING BEHAVIOR CIRCUMCISED THAT THEY NEVER REATTACH AGAIN?! THAT HABIT/ADDICTION CIRCUMCISED THAT IT NEVER REATTACHES AGAIN? WHAT WOULD THE CHURCH LOOK LIKE IF THAT BACKBITING, SLANDERING, GOSSIPING, LYING, RUMOR FILLED TONGUE WAS CIRCUMCISED, NEVER TO REATTACH AGAIN?! WHAT IF JEALOUSY, COVETING, ENVY, COMPARING, AND COMPETING WERE CIRCUMCISED, NEVER TO REATTACH AGAIN?! WHAT IF BITTERNESS, ANGER, SPITE, MALICIOUSNESS, UNFORGIVENESS, AND HATRED WERE CIRCUMCISED, NEVER TO REATTACH AGAIN?!

PEOPLE OF GOD, THAT’S THE PURPOSE OF CIRCUMCISION (SPIRITUALLY AND NATURALLY)…IT IS PURPOSED TO CUT AWAY WHAT’S NOT NECESSARY SO THAT IT’S NEVER ALLOWED TO REATTACH AGAIN!

And Despite What You’ve Heard, Circumcision, Both Natural and Spiritual, Is NOT Gender Specific! Both Males and Females Have Been Circumcised (HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE LORD’S PREFERENCE (According to the Word of God) IS MEN NATURALLY, AND MEN AND WOMEN SPIRITUALLY …READ YOUR BIBLE SAINTS!)

SO, HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN CIRCUMCISED YET?! Have you finally made the decision to get rid of some UNNECESSARY Stuff (WHICH INCLUDES PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS, CONDUCT, BEHAVIOR, THOUGHTS, DEEDS, SPEECH ETC…)? Have You Matured Enough To Go Without the Stuff You Should Be Without In the First Place!?  

And bear in mind, just as a natural circumcision takes time to heal, so does a spiritual one! Truth is it’s not easy having God cut away some stuff and people that have been attached to us for a very long time. And it doesn’t even matter if we already know they’re poisonous, toxic and infectious, they’ve been attached to us too long for them to easily be detached without wound or pain! So, when you’re ready to reap the promises of God for your life, and you finally make the decision to be circumcised, you will need time to heal. Which is why like the children of Israel, we must WAIT UNTIL WE ARE HEALED BEFORE WE GO FORTH INTO THE PROMISED LAND! 

If we launch out too early, we will not only be Ineffective but we may Risk Infection and Disease and will not be at our Full Capacity! You see, Circumcision opens you up to Vulnerability and Pain, two things none of us like to be in! And when you think about (I pray you can handle this) but Circumcision is in a very Private Area, and not just Private, But Vital to Life! It’s an Organ Where LIFE Itself Is Produced! It All Starts Right There! Yep, I Said It…Nicely! This Very Place Will Release a Seed for Something to Be Birthed (9 Months Later) So It Is Indeed the LAST Place You Want Infected! Hello! 

Remember what the Bible says about the Israelites: “And after the whole nation had been Circumcised, THEY REMAINED WHERE THEY WERE IN CAMP UNTIL THEY WERE HEALED” – Joshua 5:8 (NIV) You Can’t Go Forth Until You’ve Been Circumcised and Healed! You Have to Stay Right Where You Are! Yes they had the place of promise before them, but they couldn’t attain it: “…UNTIL THEY WERE HEALED”! And You Are No Different! Yes, God has Great Things To Be Produced From Your Loins, but BEFORE He Does, You Will Be Circumcised, Then Made to Wait Right Where You Are (In a Vulnerable and Painful Place) Until You Are Healed!

When a Circumcision takes place, the doctors give clear instructions on what to wash with, how often, what cream to use, what to do for the pain etc…and if you’re smart, You Will Follow the Doctors Orders! The very same with a Spiritual Circumcision, Yes It Is Going to Hurt, Some of the Things and People He’s Going to Cut Away Have Been Attached For a Very Long Time And Many of Those Attachments Have Been Private, So When He Removes Them, It Is Going to Hurt, But It Won’t Hurt Always! However, In the Meantime, After He Cuts Things/People Away (That You Don’t Need Anyway) and you Follow His Instructions on How to Recover, Your Painful Experience Will Be But a Memory As You Enjoy the Promised Land!

BUT…YOU HAVE TO BE CIRCUMCISED, STAY WHERE YOU ARE, AND HEAL…FIRST!

Pay attention to the text: “And after the whole nation had been Circumcised, THEY REMAINED WHERE THEY WERE IN CAMP UNTIL THEY WERE HEALED” – Joshua 5:8  (NIV) You don’t get to say, ‘Lord I’ve been Circumcised and all is well! I’m better now, I’m delivered now.’ NO! You have to remain right where you are UNTIL YOU ARE HEALED!

In other words, you don’t get PROMOTED WHEN CIRCUMCISED! YOU REMAIN RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE! GOD IS NOT TAKING ANYMORE LIP SERVICE FROM HIS PEOPLE! THIS TIME, TO ATTAIN THE PROMISE YOU ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE PAIN OF CIRCUMCISION…AND THEN YOU’RE GOING TO SIT RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE UNTIL YOU’RE HEALED AND COMPLETELY DELIVERED! Can you imagine if as Leaders we endured this, and made sure others endured it as well?! Remain Where You Are Until You Are Healed! Do You Know How Many Compassionate, Humble Folks Would Then Make Up the Church Body?! Instead of the Highly Decorated Peacocks We Have Poised In the Pews and Pulpit?!

Here’s another reason why waiting until you are completely healed and delivered is so important: The people of Israel fought ONLY 2 BATTLES when they were coming out of Egypt. However, in the Promised Land they fought 39 BATTLES! Wait For It…

You see, far too many in the church believe once we get to the promise or promised land that we get the glad, glads, and it’s happy go lucky every day! We’ll have no more problems, no more headaches, no more struggles, no more trials! ALL OF THAT IS A LIE THAT SHOULD NEVER BE TOLD…NO MORE!

TRUTH IS: ISRAEL FOUGHT MORE AND TOUGHER BATTLES IN THE PROMISED LAND THEN THE ONES GETTING TO IT! THAT’S WHY YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE CIRCUMCISED…FIRST! AND THEN WAIT AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMPLETELY HEALED AND DELIVERED (REATTACHING NOTHING THAT WAS SEVERED!) BECAUSE YOU WILL NEED YOUR FULL STRENGTH FOR THE BATTLES THAT LIE AHEAD IN YOUR PROMISED LAND!

Each of us must be Prepared to enjoy the benefits of living in the Promised Land. And that Preparation Is Spiritual Circumcision! However, we must also be Prepared to wage war against the enemy of our souls. Therefore, make sure the Lord has provided the needed healing to your circumcision experience before you enter the Promised Land!

I find it so amazing that Natural Circumcision Meant So Much In the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, For Believers, Paul Pays Natural Circumcision No Mind and Instead He Talks About the Circumcision of the Heart! He Goes Through Colossians, Galatians and Romans talking about the Pointless Need of Natural Circumcision but of the Value and Importance of Spiritual Circumcision of the Heart. There has to be something to it don’t you think?!

“Look out for those dogs [Judaizers, legalists], look out for those mischief-makers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances—…” (Philippians 3:2-4 AMP)

“In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a [spiritual] circumcision [performed by] Christ by stripping off the body of the flesh (the whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts). [Thus you were circumcised when] you were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead.” (Colossians 2:10-12 AMP)

Today, ask God to perform a Spiritual Circumcision on Your Heart! Ask Him to Remove Anything and Anyone that Serves No Purpose to Your Growth In Him! And When He Removes It and Them, Don’t Attempt to Reattach Either One!

You Have a Promise Land and Bigger Battles Ahead of You, You Can’t Afford to be Unprepared! So Be Brave and Ask God to Use the Sword of His Word and Cut You…TODAY!

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 AMP)

“God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.” (Hebrews 4:12-13 MSG)

People of God, it is Vital that you have your Heart Circumcised. God has so much in store for you that will only benefit and bless you once you’ve detached unnecessary people, places and things. Let nothing and no one come between you and what God has already gotten ready for you. Remember: God is only removing people, places and things that are non-essential to your journey, life, ministry, calling and purpose.  So make absolutely no attempts to hold onto what God hands have already determined you do not need. He has a plan and a promise just for you, but you’ve got to be prepared to receive it, and the only way that will happen, is through circumcision. Don’t miss your blessing, don’t miss your promise! Let it and them go, today, and let neither one return!

Joshua 5:8, “When they had completed the circumcising of the WHOLE NATION, they stayed where they were in camp until they were healed.” (MSG)

Something else that’s important to note is that the WHOLE NATION was circumcised. It’s not enough for you alone to endure this process, but everyone attached to you must as well. Which means it’s important to make sure that your home and your church family are all walking through the process of circumcision. Since all with you are going into the promise and promised land with you, you need to make sure that the Whole House has been Cut, Healed, Ready to Enter the Promised Land and Ready to Fight Even Greater Battles! Mom and Dad, it’s not enough that only you have been delivered, but your children need deliverance too! Pastor and Leaders, it’s not enough that only you have been cut, made to wait, endure healing and get ready to enter the promised land! No, the Whole House needs to be on the same page!

Joshua 24:15, “…but as for me AND MY HOUSE, WE will serve the Lord.” That’s not singular, that’s plural! Meaning everybody in the house will have to follow the same house rules! We all get circumcised, we all have to stay right where we are until we are healed, then we all will go into the promised land, fight and win! This is a collective effort, not an individualized event! And so your prayer life will change. Because it has to shift from ‘me, my, mine, and I’ to ‘us, we, and the whole house!’

Joshua 5:8-9, “And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have ended your shame of not being circumcised.” So the place where this was done was called Gilgal (meaning, “to end”), and is still called that today. After the ceremony the entire nation rested in camp until the raw flesh of their wounds had been healed.” (TLB) Another good thing to note, is that regardless to who you were, or what you did, or where you were, the shame is gone after the process of circumcision has been completed! They were circumcised in Gilgal! It was the circumcision to end the shame of their painful past! Gilgal means to end, or roll away! As painful as your circumcision will be, it serves a greater purpose than just pain! It closes the door on the past! It ends the shame of what was, and prepares you for what is to come! So, don’t under-estimate your process of circumcision! It is a good thing that shall work in your favor!

And don’t rush the process either! Yes it’s a painful time, place and process, but it’s also a place where God grants you rest until your wounds have healed! Which means, when your circumcision is complete, don’t rush to start the business, open a new church, buy a house or car, and seek to enter ministry or elevate in it! This is not about any of that! This is your time to let the people, places and things God severed from you, heal. You can’t cut away from flesh and not give it time to heal! You need the memories to heal, you need the what if’s to heal, you need the regrets to heal, you need the pain to heal. So don’t rush the process, let God do the cutting, and you do the waiting while healing.

And please don’t think of your process of circumcision as a horrible place either! In Gilgal, yes, there was the pain of circumcision. However, don’t forget some of the other things that transpired in Gilgal. It was also the place of the first encampment of the Israelites west of the Jordan River where a monument was erected to commemorate their passage across the Jordan River! Joshua 4:19-24, “This miracle occurred on the 25th of March. That day the entire nation crossed the Jordan River and camped in Gilgal at the eastern edge of the city of Jericho; and there the twelve stones from the Jordan were piled up as a monument. Then Joshua explained again the purpose of the stones: “In the future,” he said, “when your children ask you why these stones are here and what they mean, you are to tell them that these stones are a reminder of this amazing miracle—that the nation of Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground!  Tell them how the Lord our God dried up the river right before our eyes and then kept it dry until we were all across! It is the same thing the Lord did forty years ago at the Red Sea!  He did this so that all the nations of the earth will realize that Jehovah is the mighty God, and so that all of you will worship him forever.” (TLB). It was also the place where the Passover was kept: Joshua 5:10, “While they were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover during the evening of April first.” (TLB); it was also the place where their first king was crowned and altars were built and sacrifices offered 1 Samuel 11:15, “So they went to Gilgal and in a solemn ceremony before the Lord they crowned him king. Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all Israel were very happy.” (TLB); it was also the place of the school of the prophets: 2 Kings 4:38-40, “Elisha now returned to Gilgal, but there was a famine in the land. One day as he was teaching the young prophets…” (TLB); in addition, it was the place where the Tribe of Judah escorted King David and the very place Joshua conquered!

In other words, don’t get stuck in this temporary place! You are not going to stay here forever! But also, know that God has done some amazing things even in painful places! Don’t despise your place of Gilgal, it’s painful, but it’s purposeful! It won’t last forever, it’s the place of your healing, it’s the place of your resting, it’s the place where your past shame comes to an end, and most important, it’s the place that will lead you into your promised land and victorious battles! There are benefits and blessings to the process of circumcision, you just have to endure the painful waiting period of healing in order to get them! My suggestion? Endure Your Process of Circumcision!

Jeremiah 4:4, “Circumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the Lord and remove the foreskin [sins] of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way] And burn and there will be no one to quench it, Because of the evil of your acts.” (AMP)

Deuteronomy 30:6, “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants [that is, He will remove the desire to sin from your heart], so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live [as a recipient of His blessing].” (AMP)

“Without this heart attitude it is exceedingly difficult for us to accept the circumcision of the flesh. Every affection, desire, thought, knowledge, intent, worship, and work of the flesh must go to the cross.” (Watchman Nee)

People of God, Do Not Despise Your Painful Process of Circumcision in the Place of Gilgal. It’s the Place That Will Lead You to Your Promised Land!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #BeBlessed
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “13 Ways Being a Night Owl Could Hurt Your Health!”

“Shhh…I Need to Hear God”

Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God…”

Before the fall of Communism, Uncle Sam broadcast Free World messages behind the Iron Curtain through an organization called Radio Free Europe. People got to hear Truth about the rest of the world that they never would have heard otherwise. Of course, the Communist leaders didn’t want people hearing the rest of the story, So They Would Broadcast On Those Same Frequencies, Often Trying to Drown Out the Truth With Noise. The Iron Curtain is gone, but unfortunately The Strategy of Drowning Out the Truth With Noise – Is Not! In fact, SATAN HAS BEEN USING THAT STRATEGY FOR A LONG TIME TO KEEP US FROM HEARING THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY!

Eight little words, from Psalm 46:10, in all their simplicity, totally challenge most of our lifestyles today: “BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD…” How do you get in touch with the heart of God, how do you hear the voice of God, how do you receive the plan of God, how do you learn the Will of God, how do you get clarity on the perspective of God? Simply, “BE STILL”.  The word ‘still’ is defined as, ‘not moving; undisturbed; a state of deep and quiet calm.’ Which is why another translation of our text reads: “Be Quiet and Know That I Am God.” (NLV) And ‘quiet’ is defined as, ‘making no noise; free from activity, disturbance, or excitement; restrained; absence of interruptions; to refrain from speaking; repose.’ And ‘repose’ is defined as, ‘a state of restfulness or tranquility; composure.’ Its Old French origin ‘reposer’, from Latin ‘pausare’ literally means ‘to pause.’ And for today’s church, all of that sounds completely impossible! In fact, to many, it sounds ridiculously unheard of! However, you don’t get to know God, until you can be still before God. Which means you need to stop moving around all over the place; sit undisturbed; get your mind in a place of deep and quiet calm; cease from entertaining noise, activities, disturbance and excitement; restrain yourself and remain absent of any outside interruptions; close your mouth; rest; compose yourself; take a moment and press pause! And it’s not like it’s forever! ‘Pause’ is defined as, ‘a temporary stop in action or speech; to cause to stop and think before doing something else.’ And that’s all you’re doing, taking a temporary break from everything and everybody to hear God and then strategically think before making your next move. This is vital because receiving direction from God will keep you from allowing the devil to trip you up on the wrong track and have you to go the wrong way, never to reach your destiny in God.

People of God, I don’t care what you have to stop, pause, reschedule or cancel, but today is the day you do what is essential to your walk in God, and that is to be still and hear from God! If you’re too busy to be still before God, you are not doing the will of God, just your own personal agenda! God’s entire intention for us is to have a relationship with us! And how can you possibly maintain a healthy relationship with someone you spend no time and communication with?

Now the enemy of our souls knows that our greatest communication with God is through BEING STILL, so he tries to jam God’s communications to us by covering them up with lots of noise just like those communist leaders. And if the truth be told, we’ve Aided the Enemy With Jamming the Communication Lines Between Us and God With Our Over-Flowing, Busy Lives! 

Think about it: We have a telephone at home, a telephone at work, a cell phone with us everywhere we go. We’ve got a phone in our car and pocketbook. Then we’ve got beepers, faxes, e-mails and text and instant messaging. Not to mention the voice of people – our children, our mates, our friends, our coworkers – they’re always transmitting to us! We’ve been raised with television, radio, videos, computers, home entertainment centers, I-pods, I-pads, and CDs. We wake up to background sound, we get ready to it, we drive to it, we exercise with it, we relax with it, and we even go to sleep with it. And then there’s the “quiet noise” – newspapers, magazines, novels, and piles of mail. We’ve been raised in such a noisy world that silence actually makes a lot of us uncomfortable. If there isn’t background sound, we turn some on fast! AND YET GOD SPEAKS IN SILENT TIMES! NOT NOISE! SO WHY CAN’T WE GET SOMEWHERE AND BE QUIET?!

A Good Example of this is found in 1 Kings 19:11-15: “…Go, stand on the mountain at attention before GOD. GOD WILL PASS BY” A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains…but GOD wasn’t…in the wind…an earthquake, but GOD wasn’t in the earthquake…fire, but GOD wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire A GENTLE AND QUIET WHISPER…WHEN ELIJAH HEARD THE QUIET VOICE…GOD SAID…” (MSG).  We have so few quiet times, AND YET THAT’S WHEN GOD SPEAKS! Makes you wonder in our noisy lives, what is God saying, that we’re not listening to, because we can’t hear Him?! How many messages of His have been left unheard still sitting in our human voicemails?!

And while Christian TV and music, can encourage our growth in Christ, even they can jam what God wants to say to our heart if we keep them going constantly.

In a Nutshell: GOD DOESN’T WANT TO SEND YOU ANOTHER MESSENGER, HE WANTS YOU TO BE STILL SO YOU CAN HEAR HIM SPEAK TO YOU HIMSELF!

Another Good Example: As Martha was stressfully running around serving Jesus, He told her that what her sister Mary was doing was the MOST IMPORTANT THING, QUIETLY SITTING AT HIS FEET JUST LISTENING TO HIM! That’s what we have way too little of. You see, we have plenty of Martha busyness, BUT NOT MUCH MARY QUIETNESS, SIMPLY LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF GOD! As a result, our bodies are stressed, our souls are vexed and our spirits are perplexed! Which is why I’ll say to you what God said to me in this busy season in my life, “SLOW DOWN OR YOU’LL MISS SEEING ME, QUIET DOWN OR YOU’LL MISS HEARING ME…YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO MISS OUT ON EITHER ONE!”

If the truth be told, you literally have to fight for quiet time with God in a world so full and comfortable with noise. That’s why today I’m challenging you to choose a day this coming week to drive without the radio on, letting the Lord know, that you only want to hear His voice. Go home after work and find a room you can sit in for a few minutes and say speak Lord for your servant is quietly listening for what You have to say. Leave the TV off, skip the news, exercise without the music, go away if necessary JUST BE STILL AND KNOW HE IS GOD! Begin by worshiping Him simply for Who He is, and then listen to Him through extended time in His Word. Pour out your deepest feelings to Him in prayer and listen attentively for His response. Keep a note pad handy and write down whatever He says during this time when His voice is the only one you’re listening to, because it’s the only one that matters.  

WARNING: Satan doesn’t want you to hear God, because that means you’re receiving instructions on how to overcome him, that’s why he keeps trying to drown out the voice of God’s truth with noise. Don’t let him do it! Satan knows, “…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 NIV). And the last thing your enemy wants is for you to be free! Maybe that’s why you haven’t been able to kick that habit or addiction; why you haven’t been able to end that affair; why you’ve been overeating to obesity; why you can’t locate your peace, love and joy; why you’re bickering and at odds with everybody; why you can’t get free is because you’ve allowed the enemy to tie you up to so much unfruitful busyness, that you don’t have time to be set free! The only thing that sets you free is the truth, and the truth is found in God’s Word, but if you’re so busy with all of your ‘extra curricular activities’ how are you going to have time to sit and read, receive and listen to truth? You can’t listen to God and Satan at the same time and still be set free! You can’t be bound and freed at the same time! You have to choose ye this day whom you will serve!

Listen: you can afford to miss a text, an e-mail, a voice-mail, but you can’t afford to miss God! And you will keep missing God if you stay noisy and busy with everything but God! His Word says:

“…Calm Down, and Learn That I Am God…” (CEV)

“Let Go of Your Concerns! Then You Will Know That I Am God…” (GWT)

“Stand Silent! Know That I Am God…” (TLB)

If you are to ever grow in knowing God, you’ve got to condition yourself daily to calm down; let go of your concerns; and stand silent! God requires your undivided attention, not you making feeble attempts to divide up your attention with Him and everything and everybody else! Remember, God desires a personal relationship with us. That requires deliberate, set-aside time with Him. And you can’t do that putting Him somewhere on your to-do-list. He has to become your number one priority, over everything and everyone!

The Message Bible says it like this: “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at Me, your High God, above politics, above everything.” (MSG) And why is this so important? Because the end time is a bad time to miss God’s visitation!

Luke 19:44, reads, “When the city came into view, he wept over it. “If you had only recognized this day, and everything that was good for you!…now it’s too late…your enemies are going to bring up their heavy artillery and surround you, pressing in from every side….Not one stone will be left intact. All this because you didn’t recognize and welcome God’s Personal Visit.”(MSG). Can you imagine being so distracted that you actually Miss God? Did you read that? GOD of all people came for a visit and HE of all people wasn’t welcomed! They didn’t even recognize Him!

Well, with that as a thought, a good question to ask yourself today is, “Do I recognize God day-to-day?” Or is it possible that you missed God smiling through the face of your 3 year old that you ignored because you were responding to a text? Could God have been in that man who you walked past last in line; or maybe that woman who was least; or the older woman sitting lonely on the park bench; that boy who was lost or that girl who was left (all of which you didn’t even notice)? Are you really so disconnected from God in your pursuit of busy that you missed seeing Him in the last, the least, the lonely, the lost and the left out? Did you miss God in the silver lining because you were looking for Him in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Did you drive past God sitting at the bus-stop while rushing to something else not as important? Was that God asking you for change for a bottle of water in this heat? When your body became exhausted was that God trying to get you to give His dwelling place a rest?

Are you moving so much that you’re actually missing such a Big God in so many Little moments?

Saints, today, Be Still…

I know that will be a huge challenge for many, but it is of an absolute necessity to the life of the believer.

Look at it like this: Could you imagine the danger in a person having their music up so high that they didn’t hear the horn blaring before they stepped out into the street? Well, having that much noise and busyness going on in your life is the same dangerous equivalent! When you have that much noise in your life, you can’t hear God speak in a quiet whisper. And what happens when He’s speaking to warn you, but you can’t hear a single word of it because of the noise?

Truth is, if we took the time to be quiet, be still and listen to God, we would’ve never started the wrong business, signed a bad mortgage, agreed to a rent we couldn’t afford, sent our son to that school, let our daughter play with that friend…We wouldn’t have started a church/ministry out of season…We wouldn’t be on the second, third and preparing for the fourth divorce…We wouldn’t be standing under a mountain of debt…We wouldn’t be taking all these pills if we simply listened to God say stop eating that and take better care of yourself! Believe it or not but people are in the emergency room, on the operating table, in jail, on the streets, and even laying in the cemetery at this very moment, all because God spoke and their life was too noisy to hear Him! Do you really want that to be you?

People of God, “Be Still” is not a Suggestion, it is a Command! And If You Love Him, You’ll Obey His Commandments!

Here’s one last nugget: 1 Samuel 3:10-11, “..Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” God said to Samuel, “Listen carefully. I’m getting ready to do something…” (MSG) Are your ears this attentive to God? Do you respond: “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen”, when God calls you by name? Because the blessing is, if you are, God will share His next move with you too! Can you imagine being so close to God, so attentive to God’s voice, that He whispers in your ear, “Listen carefully. I’m getting ready to do something…” There’s nothing like ‘insider information’! And with the world in the state it is, don’t you think if anybody is to be that close to God to receive insider information about what God’s getting ready to do next, it should be the church? But you can only get it if God can get in your ear. Does God have your ear like that? 

Remember: Seek silence. Why? Because when you Silence Distraction in the Earth, you hear Direction from Heaven.

Today’s a pretty good day to start! Just find you a quiet space and tell yourself and everybody else…Shhhhhh…God is Speaking…and I NEED to Hear God!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #BeStill
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Health Benefits of Avocados”

 

“The Importance of Wife Trainers”

Titus 2:3-5, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so TRAIN the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (ESV)

My friend Caleb is a beast of a trainer! Which is why I absolutely hate to attend any of his classes at the gym! In fact, I am indeed the worse client of all time! Don’t believe me? Listen, I have actually sat on the stationary bike (not moving) but eating Doritos while watching cartoons! And this is all during his session with the entire group of us! He’s even bought me a dunce cap to wear when I’m sent to time-out! I’m sent to time-out quite often, but that’s neither here nor there. I absolutely drive Caleb up a wall! But he’s dedicated indeed! However, he’s taken on quite a few extra responsibilities at work and in his church, so he’s slowed down…A LITTLE BIT!

Talking to him recently, he told me that his regular routine doesn’t allow him as much time for exercise as he’d like. In the past, when he had a few days away and his schedule permitted, he would enjoy doing some biking or hiking, or running. Of course, when you stop working out as vigorous as you once did, your body has a tendency to shift gears on you, without warning, and without a courtesy notice. In other words, he’s not as much beast now as he is teddy bear! He said, “my body told me, you not ready for this, you haven’t been working out lately. And so, I ended up hurting in places I didn’t even know I had places! But it’s good to get some extra exercise when you can anyhow”.

And one of those times came when Caleb and his wife Sierra were away, and he had a chance to do some jogging on the beach at sunrise. He was chugging along trying to cover those last few hundred yards, which seemed like the longest ever, while pounding back down the beach all tired and sweaty and disgusting. He said his muscles were screaming, “I demand you stop this foolishness right now!” And then he said “but I saw my wife in the distance. Well, that was a great motivation to finish, and to finish strong. So I kind of picked up the pace a little bit, and had almost reached her when I saw what she had written in huge letters in the sand, “I love you, Caleb, you can do it babe.” Oh boy, there it was! What a happy ending to my run. Pain and all, those few little words of love pushed me through the finish line.”

Caleb’s story (particularly his wife) reminds me of Titus 2:4-5 where there are actually instructions given to the older women in the church as to what they should, from their well of experience, TRAIN the younger women to be like. It says, “…then they can TRAIN the younger women…” That word ‘train’ is defined as, ‘to teach a person a particular skill or type of behavior through regular practice and instruction; to make someone become fit through a course of consistent exercise and diet; to make grow in a particular direction or into a required shape.’ In other words, this training is to be ongoing. It doesn’t stop just because someone gets married. All throughout the course of marriage, the older women are to continue to train; teach; instruct; on skill and behavior through consistent practice; so that the younger wives will learn how to grow in the right direction and develop into the required ‘shape’ for her own husband. Notice what they are to TRAIN them to do, “…love their husbands and children. To be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the Word of God.”

Actually, this passage is referring to two generations of loving wives, because obviously the older women had to do it in order to be able to teach and train it to the younger women. Therefore, in both generations, the very same admonishment is given, “…Love your husband…”

Proverbs 31, that great description of the woman every godly woman wants to be, says about her in verse 12. “She brings her husband good, not harm, all the days of her life.” Another translation reads, “She will not hinder him but help him all her life.” (TLB) That word “hinder” is defined as “to delay or impede”. Its Old English Origin literally means “to damage.” Can you imagine if Caleb’s wife “hindered” him as he was running toward his goal? Ultimately, she would have caused him damage. Now, that word “impede” is defined as “to delay or block the progress or action of.” It’s Latin Origin “impedire” literally means “to shackle the feet of”. How can you possibly have a goal of running to the finish line when you’re attached to someone who’s like “shackles on your feet?” Can you imagine if Caleb’s wife was at the finish line yelling, “why are you even here? You can’t do this? You can’t accomplish this? This is too big of a task for you? You’re not ready for this? You do remember how old you are right? Don’t you see the other younger, stronger and more fit men running down this beach? Go somewhere grab a snickers and take the break your body needs before it takes one without your permission!”

I wouldn’t exactly call that motivation, encouragement, help or love! That’s shackles at their best! As out of shape, and tired, and in pain as Caleb was, it was his wife’s Help not Hindrance that got him to accomplish his goal that day. So wives, are you doing the same thing for your own husbands? Are you encouraging his dreams, hearts desires, goals, aims, purpose, calling and plan? Are you building him up or tearing him down? Are you inflating him with faith, or deflating him with doubt? Do you have his back, or have you turned your back? When he wants to throw in the towel, do you grab it, wipe his blood, sweat and tears, and push him back in the ring to keep fighting another round? Are you helping him, or hindering him? Are you assisting in his progression or are you the source of his regress? Can he bring his dreams that are the size of the galaxy to you, or does he go elsewhere because you shoot down what could’ve been his rising star? Remember, she brings him good all the days of her life, would your husband be able to give the same testimony of you?

Now, there’s that picture of Caleb running on the beach, coming toward the finish line, tired, feeling like quitting. And suddenly he sees these words, “I love you, Caleb, you can do it babe.” It gave him incentive to cross the finish line. And the word “incentive” is defined as “a thing that motivates or encourages someone to action or increased effort.” Its Latin Origin “incentivum” means “something that sets the tune or incites.” In other words, Caleb wasn’t just running to the music coming from his headphones, but he was running to the tune of his wife’s encouragement. She was his “incentive” to make it to the finish line. Her encouragement set the tune or tone for his completion. A ‘tune’ is defined as, ‘a melody or melodious piece of music.’ It’s not nails on a chalkboard; it’s not complaining; it’s not nagging; it’s not bickering, cussing and yelling; it’s not the bark and bite of an angry pit-bull or the roar of a hungry lion! It’s a sound you want to hear; you need to hear; you love to hear. As a wife, what is the sound of your voice in your husband’s ear? And truth is, it’s not hard to say loving things to your husband when all is well. But that’s not the extent of your voice. You have to learn how to develop to the point that you can encourage him when you need encouragement yourself; you have to learn to have those melodious words of encouragement when the bills are due; when the kids are acting up in school; when your parents health is failing; when the washer and dryer broke down at the same time; when the food burned while you were ironing clothes. You have to maintain your sound even when the doctor doesn’t have a good report for you or him. Your tune sets the tone for your husband. Depending on your tune, you’ll either push him forward or push him away. After all, with someone telling you they love you and encouraging you to finish what you started because they believe you can, is great motivation! Who wouldn’t run towards that?

However, if he’s running in the opposite direction, you may want to check the “words of inspiration” that have been allowed to come out of your mouth! They may sound more like “nothing sweet” instead of “sweet nothings”! Truth is, men love compliments just as much as any woman does. He desires to be told you like his hair cut, he’s handsome, he’s wearing that suit, he’s good at this or that. I promise you, you will be amazed at how much motivation moves a man when a compliment is given! And a compliment from his wife is better than a compliment from anyone else. You know why? Because she sees the sides of him, that no one else sees. She sees when he’s not in a good mood; when his attitude sucks; when his words are critical; when he paces the floor in worry or fear; when his teeth aren’t brushed; his hair isn’t combed; his body isn’t freshly out the shower; and when he’s not spic-and-span Sunday morning spotless! She hears the complaints, the anger, the frustrations, that few others hear. So when she can see ALL of that side of him, and still have a melodious tune of encouragement, he can trust her words like no other, because no other has seen him at his behind the scenes, closed doors worse, like she has! That’s why as wives, your tune can’t change based on situations, circumstances, emotions, moods and feelings. Your tune has to remain consistent. And the only way for that to be accomplished is by practice. So, whose feet are you sitting at, so you can learn how to walk as a better wife? Who do you have training you to win the game of marriage?

Now here’s a memory for a summer vacation scrapbook. You got kissed by a dolphin! Well, you may say, “No thank you”. But it happens to people every day at “Sea World”, a park where you can see whales and fish and seals do these amazing tricks. Those dolphins however, are something else! They will jump through hoops (I wish we could get kids to do that), they’ll dance on their tails, and oh yeah, did I mention jumping out of the water and kissing tourists?

But if you want to understand why they do all this neat stuff, you have to watch what they do after each trick. They swim around the pool and straight for the guy with the bag! You know what’s in that bag. Fish! Yummy fish! If you want a dolphin to do something, give him a fish and he’ll do it again! As comical as it sounds, husbands are a lot like that! I really do think the male species of the human race has a lot in common with those dolphins at Sea World. You see, if you give them a “fish” when they do something good, they’ll want to jump through that hoop again and again!

Leo F. Buscaglia said it best: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”               

Some women seem to believe that the best way to get their man to improve is to nag him into it, to shame him into it, or to criticize him into doing it. Well, I got news for you, the Bible describes two kinds of women in Proverbs 14:1 “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” God’s Word Translation says it like this: “The wisest of women builds up her home, but a stupid one tears it down with her own hands.” There are some things that a woman does that build the people she cares about, and there are others that like a demolition crew, just tear them completely down! That’s why it’s so important to keep in mind the following quote: “Many acts of service cost nothing and take little time: Encouragement, Compliments, Listening, Gratitude, and Compassion.” Complimenting your husband costs you Nothing, but it will Greatly Increase His Self-Worth and Value! Complimenting your husband takes No Time At All, but He Will Hold It Dear For a Lifetime! Chris Rock said: “There are only three things women need in life: Food, Water, and Compliments”. Well, as comical as it sounds, Men Need the Very Same Things!               

Now there’s no question that every man needs a lot of work (so do we women)! But if you approach your husband like your personal home improvement project, like “I’ve got to fix this guy!” you’ll probably keep him from changing! Is it stubbornness? Ego? Deafness? I’m not sure, but I do know that when a man is pushed, he tends to go the other way, not come in your direction!

Part of love is what I heard called “Mirroring” – which is holding up a mirror to the person you love and letting them know what you see when you look at them. Unfortunately, we tend to be a lot better at mirroring the things we Don’t like than some of the good things about that person that we Do. But it’s in affirming the good that we give a person the courage and the encouragement to work on the rest. Remember: “Everybody likes a compliment” (Abraham Lincoln). Even Mark Twain said: “I can live for two months on a good compliment.”               

 As a Wife, Your Greatest Blessing Comes From Blessing Your Own Husband!               

If you want to Improve Your Husband or Help Your Husband Become Better, Then Bring Him Good, Bring Him Value by Telling Him What’s Good about Him! Praise Him When He Does Something Right, Even If It’s Just a Small Improvement! Give Him a Fish (so to speak, like the Dolphins) If You Want Him To Do It Some More! Or, as one of my Mentors says, “Water What You Want To Grow.” When you consistently have a ministry of encouragement and affirmation in your husband’s life, he feels Safe! And a man won’t risk changing unless he’s in a place where he feels Safe! And if he feels Safe and Valued by You, he’s a lot more likely to listen when you need to tell him something that’s hard to hear! He’ll Know You Love Him and that You Want Him to Be the Best He Can Be! 

Speaking of being a ‘safe place’ for your husband. I remember the experience of sleeping with my husband for the first time. The most mentally exhausting part was knowing that I wasn’t comfortable in my own body. I didn’t like the little stretch marks; the acne etc. And I absolutely refused to sleep with him with the lights on, and I refused for him to see me get naked in front of him. I was insecure and fragile because of it. What caused me to change was my husband’s constant words of affirmation. It was the first time that I’d ever felt ‘safe’ with a man in such an intimate manner. My husband was a lot like Caleb’s wife, he would constantly reassure me in the areas where I felt most unsure. Wives, it’s important to do this for your husband’s too, especially if there’s an area that you’re believing God to change in him. No one likes to be exposed, especially when they know how many flaws they have. But I dare you to become your husband’s safe place and watch the change that takes place! 

Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, had a wonderful outlook on this. She said, “It is my job to love Billy. It’s God’s job to change him!” That says it better than I ever could!               

Remember: You compliment him, and that will encourage him to let God change him!

Many men come home tired from the day’s journey of running here, there and everywhere. And few things mean more to a man than to know that he will find an “I love you” at the finish line. I think a man can handle almost anything if he’s sure that he will be safe and appreciated and loved when he gets home. You know, “All’s well that ends well.” Lots of pressure, lots of stress, but most men can handle it when they know there’s going to be security at the finish line.

And there are a lot of ways to say it to him. First, just verbally express it. And don’t just say, “I love you until further notice.” No, tell him often. Touch him affectionately. Provide peace in the house as much as possible when he arrives home; maybe that special meal or special card or special note. Now, it’s hard, because you’ve had a long run too. But God will give you strength to put your husband first when you feel like being first yourself.

I often hear, particularly in counseling sessions, that it’s the wife/mother that carries the whole household, and everything else. And for many, that may be the absolute truth. I’ve been in those shoes, and it’s a painful walk. But I also know that there are still good men/good husbands that are working just as hard as the women in their lives. And that should be acknowledged and celebrated. We do a lot of man bashing, but when do we do some man boasting? They’re not all bad. In fact, some are stay at home dads that take care of the kids, clean the house and cook. Others go to work, and bring home a paycheck that provides and protects their families. There are some at work, some at school, some in the military, some are CEO’s and some are janitors, and they are all good men and good husbands, that deserve their flowers, cards, candy and gifts too. Don’t let the world’s skewed view of such a beautiful holiday like Valentine’s Day for instance, cause you to think that it’s just for women alone. If you have good men in your life, especially good husbands, celebrate them (visibly and tangibly). Motivate them, encourage them, speak well of them, compliment them, love them, and do so publicly and privately. It’s what pushed Caleb, and it’s what presses the Dolphins to do trick after trick to make everyone happy, because there’s always a wonderful treat at the end.

Wise women, let’s build our houses and build our men/husbands and keep them safe, secure, intact, and strong. Maintain a great foundation of love, not just for one day, but for the other 365 as well. Everyday holds within it seconds, minutes, and hours of opportunity to show your love to your loved ones. Don’t let another moment pass by, because in a very untimely fashion, one of those seconds will be the last.

So, older women, get to work! There’s some younger wives that desperately need your wisdom to develop into better wives. There are even those who are yet to be wives, that need to see you walk this out in front of them so they know all the work that is to come, following the wedding day and honeymoon. Get on your post and teach and train wives to do what the bible says they are to do:

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so TRAIN the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”

Older women, make sure you haven’t walked off the job as a wife trainer! It’s vital that you continue to teach what is good, and how younger wives are to love their husband and even their children. Yes, you have a full curriculum you need to teach so that we all become better women, wives and mothers. We need you to train us on how to be self-controlled in a world that’s so fleshly impulsive; teach us how to remain pure in a world that wants us to believe that contamination is NOT poison; teach us to be busy working at home, not just at our jobs, careers, churches and ministries, but teach us to take better care of our own homes! Teach us to be kind in a word that allows cruel to be the order of the day, every day. Teach us to be submissive to our own husbands, more-so than to any other man whether it be our pastor or boss! And why is all of this so important? So, ‘…that the Word of God may not be reviled.’ Let’s look at that verse in a few translations:

“…so that the Word of God will not be dishonored.” (AMP)

“…that the Word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited).” (AMPC)

“…so that God’s Word won’t be ridiculed.” (CEB)

“…Then no one can say insulting things about God’s message.” (CEV)

“…Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us.” (ERV)

“…Then no one can speak evil of God’s Word.” (GWT)

“…so that the Christian faith can’t be spoken against by those who know them.” (TLB)

“…We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior.” (MSG)

“…Then they will not bring shame on the Word of God.” (NLT)

Older women/wives, it is your responsibility to teach younger wives and train them well, because it is to protect the Reputation of God; the Word of God; and the Christian Faith as a whole! Any poor behavior of a wife reflects negatively on all of that! Older Women, don’t drop the ball, this is too important to treat carelessly. Therefore, today, Game On, Wife Trainers Let’s Get to Work! The Word of God is Counting on You!

 Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “How Your Personality Can Affect Your Health?”

“What’s Choking the Life Out of You?”

 

Mark 4:19, “And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word; Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and CHOKE and SUFFOCATE the Word, and it becomes fruitless.” (AMP)

The word “Choke” is defined as “to prevent (someone) from breathing by constricting or obstructing the throat or depriving of air; to have trouble breathing; to hinder movement; to make speechless with strong emotion.”

The word “Suffocate” is defined as “to die or cause to die from lack of air or inability to breathe; to feel or cause to feel trapped or oppressed.” It’s Latin Origin “suffocare” literally means “to stifle”, from “fauces” which literally means “the throat”.

In the parable of the sower Jesus said, “Other people are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the ones who hear the message, but the worries about this life, the love for riches, and all other kinds of desires crowd in and CHOKE the message, and they don’t bear fruit.” (Mark 4:18-19 GNT).

Notice, the problem is not the Sower or the Seed, it’s the Soil. Jesus said they “hear the word,” so we’re talking about believers with a pre-existing mindset that chokes every Scripture they hear, read, or try to apply. Sounds like Hebrews 5:11-14, “I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you’ve picked up this bad habit of NO LISTENING. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby’s milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God’s ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.” (MSG) I reiterate, we’re not talking about unbelievers or the world here. We’re talking about laying hands, prophesying, tongue talking, praise, worship and praying church folks, who allow stuff to suffocate the Word they’ve heard! These are the folks who get stuck in the thorn bushes! And Jesus describes these thorns as: “The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things.”

Can you imagine hearing the Word of God with all of its promises, protection, provision, and the like and yet allowing stuff to choke out the message? And what kind of stuff choked it out? Well, do you remember the time when you thought the house you now live in, the career you now enjoy, and the investments you now have, would make all your worries go away? Or so you thought…But no, the more you have, the more you have to lose, to protect, to maintain, and to worry about. That’s why it’s called “the deceitfulness of wealth.” The word “Deceit” is defined as “to deliberately mislead into believing something that is false; to give a mistaken impression of.” It’s Old French Origin “Deceivre”, from Latin “Decipere” literally means “To Ensnare or Cheat”. And that’s exactly what happens when you, the believer, allows “the deceitfulness of wealth” to cheat you out of the valuable promises of the Word of God! It’s not enough to HEAR the Word, you’ve got to LISTEN as well! You see, we can hear things without giving much thought or attention to them simply because we have working ears that can hear! That’s just one of the privileges of the five senses. But notice, if you hear a car honk outside, while you’re inside, you don’t pay it much mind. However, if you’re crossing the street outside and car honks, you listen carefully, because there’s something I need to know about that honk that’s near me. If I hear it and ignore it, it can cause me grave damage! You listen for that honk, you want to know where it’s coming from; how close is it to you; what if anything do you need to do or stop doing because of what that honk may represent. Same with the Word of God. You can’t just hear the Word going in your ears, if it’s to do its job, it has to be listened to by your heart, your mind and your spirit! Or else, those Words which were for your good will do you no good! Listen again: “Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and CHOKE and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.” (Mark 4:19 AMP)

So what’s choking you? Cares and Anxieties of the World, Distractions of this day and age; Pleasure and Delight and False Glamour; the Deceit of Riches; and the Craving of Things! This is what’s “Choking” you! This is what’s preventing you from opening your mouth and declaring the promises of God that you’ve heard! This is what’s hindering your movement in walking in the promises of God; this is the worries that are strangling you with such strong emotion that you’re speechless and breathless! And one of the most dangerous things you can do is to cut off someone’s breath! Why? Because, With No breath then how do you declare and decree the Word of the Lord over your life? No breath? Then how do you praise the Lord? No breath? Then how do you speak well over yourself and your loved ones? No breath? Then how do you continue to live?!

And to make matters worse, this time you can’t even blame the devil for the attack! Remember: You Heard the Word, However, YOU then let the Cares and Anxieties of the World, Distractions of this day and age; Pleasure and Delight and False Glamour; the Deceit of Riches; and the Craving of Things to put your breath/your air/your life in jeopardy! How? Because the Bible is clear? “But he answered and said, It is written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD” (Matthew 4:4). How do you expect to Live without digesting the Bread of Life? And how can you digest Bread into a Body with no Breath?!

Listen: If your significance as a person or your sense of security is tied to anything other than your relationship with God, worry about stuff and things will choke the life right out of you. Because true happiness lies in trusting God for what you need, knowing if it’s right He’ll provide it, and if not He’ll give you something better. “Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].” (James 1:17 AMP); “For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11 AMP); “And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 AMP)

Remember You are a Believer, and as Such, You Believe the Word of the Lord When it Declares to You: “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW GOD AND THE WAY HE WORKS FUSS OVER THESE THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW BOTH GOD AND HOW HE WORKS. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. DON’T WORRY ABOUT MISSING OUT. YOU’LL FIND ALL YOUR EVERYDAY HUMAN CONCERNS WILL BE MET.” (Matthew 6:30-33 MSG).

Did you catch that last line? “YOU’LL FIND ALL YOUR EVERYDAY HUMAN CONCERNS WILL BE MET.” And when will ALL your concerns be met? EVERYDAY! In other words, there is not one single day of the 366 you receive (yep, He meets yours needs even in a leap year) where your God forgets to meet your daily concerns! Unbelievers fret, worry, panic, set-up back up plans, and lose sleep and hair! But as believers our sleep is sweet! Proverbs 3:21-26, “Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don’t for a minute lose sight of them. They’ll keep your soul alive and well, they’ll keep you fit and attractive. You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip. You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry, you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep. No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner, Because God will be right there with you; he’ll keep you safe and sound.” (MSG) Because we have the promise of resting in the Lord, even when we’re tired, frustrated, and stressed, we still have the promise of Safety and Rest!

The Bible Declares to Us: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG).

That’s Our Promise! How dare you as a Believer Let stuff and things choke that promise out of your life? And don’t tell me that it was because of what you look around at in your day to day and see, because the Word admonishes us even further: “That’s why we live with such good cheer. You won’t see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don’t get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 MSG) And if you need that Scripture in a nutshell, here it is: “(FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT)” (KJV).

So the very next time you let the concerns in this world cause you to feel a spiritual “Shortness of Breath”, inhale this: “So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG).

Listen: I had the unfortunate experience of both choking on food and on a pill, and neither was a fun experience! But because of the experience, I learned to be more cautious when I eat my food and when I take a pill. I take small bites of my food and chew it well before swallowing. And I make sure a pill is small enough (or I will use my pill crushing to bring it down to size). In other words, I’ve experienced the feeling of losing breath and I didn’t like it so I took precautions so that it never happens again. Likewise, many of us have allowed the Cares and Anxieties of the World, Distractions of this day and age; Pleasure and Delight and False Glamour; the Deceit of Riches; and the Craving of Things to Choke us. But as the old saying goes, “When you know better, do better.” Or in the words of Scripture: “So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 AMP) Now that you know better saints, do better!

Listen to our text in the Message Bible: “The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.” (MSG) Saints, stop allowing stress to strangle the Word God gave you! It’s “…Kingdom News…” coming from your King to you His heir and you’re acting as though you’re the pauper instead! A ‘pauper’ is defined as, ‘a very poor person; historically a recipient of public charity.’ Its Latin origin literally means ‘poor.’ Child of God, that does NOT in any way describe you, so why are you worrying as though it does!? No matter what you must face in this life, know that you will always be the Child of the King! And when the King sends you Kingdom News, receive it as the Joint Heir you are! And yes, that means you walk in your royalty even when the lights and gas are cut off; the layoff comes to your inbox first; the car is repossessed; the illness has run its course; the divorce papers were delivered today; the business is folding; the ministry is stagnate; YES, no matter what your Situation it will Never change your Status, as Child of the King! So stop allowing worry to overwhelm, strangle, suffocate and choke the Good Word of God’s Promises Right Out of Your Life!

With that said, Today, take the time to exam your life. Locate the areas of care, fear, fret, worry, anxiety, distractions, deceit and even the desires of unnecessary things and uproot the thorns! Take today’s devotional as the label you find on children’s toys, “Caution, small pieces may cause choking.” Because the truth is, little by little, day by day, fear and the like will slowly creep into your life and suffocate faith right out of it! That’s why so many of us lose our mind as soon as the doctor’s office leaves a message on your phone. You don’t even know what it’s for. Yet, you’ve already diagnosed yourself with 5 diseases that will all kill you by close of business today!

Saints, stop allowing things and stuff to choke out the Word of God you’ve received! Maintain a lively hope, and a lively faith. God has no desire for you to die, but for you to live! “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10); “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” (Psalm 118:17).

So, what’s choking you? Hanging out among the thorns!

Now, I know it’s Summer, but today’s a good day to do some Springtime spiritual gardening. Put your gardening gear on and get to uprooting and removing anything that would choke the life of the Word of God out of your life! God didn’t give you the precious breath of life just for you to allow the craziness in this world to choke out the promises of God for you! Therefore, no more late night pacing the floor; no more sleepless nights; no more loss of peace, joy, strength, hope and faith; no more calling 10 different prayer lines about the same issue that God already told you was handled; no more panic attacks when the phone rings even if it’s the doctor, the lawyer, or the bill collectors calling! No more coming up with back up plans to ‘help God out’; no more trying to manipulate people, places and things to do what you want done, when you want it done; no more immature impatience; no more emotional roller coaster rides that you keep taking the whole family on; no more mental anguish; no more spiritual see-saws; no more tears that aren’t tears of joy; no more complaining, grumbling and murmuring (after all, you do remember such behavior cost many of the Israelites their promised land right? Surely you don’t want your panic over problems God already has a plan for, to cause you to miss out just the same…do you…I think not?!); no more unnecessary stress, doubt and unbelief!

No, from this day forward you will walk, talk, think, speak, live, breath, move, act by faith! It’s time to steady your unstable walk in God before you mess up what walking by faith may have brought you!

James 1:5-11, “If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.” At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.” (MSG)

Three things here: One, Ask God by faith, with no doubt, worry or fear; Secondly, if you do ask God in doubt, worry or fear know that, YOU GET NOTHING OF WHICH YOU ASKED; Thirdly, don’t get caught up in the deceitfulness of wealth, before you blink “…if fades away to nothing.”

So, your assignment today is to: Inhale the Word, Exhale the Worry and Live! God has never failed, lied or let you down before, and He won’t start now! Today, walk by faith, walk in God’s favor, and live the abundant life He’s already promised you! While you still have breath, and you’ve made the commitment today to no longer fret, worry, complain and fear, open your mouth and give God praise, give God thanks, give God gratitude. And while you’re at it, declare the promises of God, and not just in your heart, open your mouth, you need to hear YOU declare what He’s promised, then YOU need to listen to what He’s promised YOU! Don’t let the cares of this world shift your focus off God again. His Word still stands and will forever remain standing, and so will you, as long as you stand on it!

Stop allowing the cares of this world to choke the life out of you! Trust God, Breath and Live!

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” (Corrie ten Boom)

“To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark, that is faith.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

“Happy moments, Praise God. Difficult moments, Seek God. Quiet moments, Worship God. Painful moments, Trust God. Every moment, Thank God.” (Rick Warren)

“There’s no storm that God won’t carry you through. No bridge that God won’t help you cross. No battle that God won’t help you win. No heartache that God won’t help you let go of. He is SO much bigger than anything you will face today. Leave everything in His hands and embrace this day confidently knowing that He WILL take care of you.”

“Pray, then let it go. Don’t try and manipulate or force the outcome. Just trust God to open the right doors at the right time. Amen.”

“Your level of peace is directly related to your level of trust in God. The more you trust God, the more peace you will experience.”

“Patience means choosing to trust God even when the circumstances haven’t changed yet.” (Victoria Osteen)

“Trust God and believe in good things to come.” (Jeffrey R. Holland)

“Faith is about trusting God when you have unanswered questions.” (Joel Osteen)

“If you cannot trust God for the temporal, how dare you trust Him for the eternal?” (Charles Spurgeon)

“Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life. It’s expecting Him to keep His promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary.” (Rick Warren)

“Trusting God is not a matter of my feelings but of my will.” (Jerry Bridges)

“God of deep waters and infinite riches, challenge me to go where I fear, to do what is difficult and what I thought could never be done. Push me to go to the deep waters of life and coast my net wide, for I put all my hope, trust and faith in You.” (Matthew Kelly)

“Keep trusting God. He will lead you in every step of the journey.” (Lailah Gifty Akita)

“Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties.” (C.S. Lewis)

“It is not worrying, but rather trusting and abiding in the peace of God that will crush anything that Satan tries to do to us. If the Lord created the world out of chaos, He can easily deal with any problem that we have.” (Rick Joyner)

“Trust God in the dark until the light returns.” (Aiden Wilson Tozer)

Psalm 143:8, “Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for I trust in You. Teach me the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.” (AMP)

Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust and faith in You.” (AMP)

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way.]” (AMP)

John 14:1, “Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me.” (AMP)

 Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged
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