“Leaders, Your Suffering is NOT in Vain”

2 Kings 5:1, “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram…BUT HE HAD LEPROSY” (NIV)

First, in examining the story of Naaman, the leper, we begin by looking at his CONDITION. The Bible says, ‘Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, BUT A LEPER.’ (NKJV). In spite of his past victories and present honors, he had a hidden problem that wouldn’t stay hidden long. Left un-dealt with, it would eventually destroy him. Can you relate? Truth is, today the odds may be in your favor. You’ve graduated from the best university, you have a good family, and you’ve successfully built a church or business, or climbed to the top in your career. Yet, before you can qualify for greater blessings, God will force you to deal with a condition that’s hidden beneath your armor! Outstanding people in every occupation, particularly spiritual ones, go through it. It’s what sets them apart. It’s what ushers them across the bridge from mediocre to exceptional. Because, Without Obstacles we’ll always be Ordinary! After all, you can’t be an Overcomer without facing something to Overcome. However, we’re not talking about petty little problems here. We’re talking about issues so overwhelming you can’t sleep; gut-wrenching things that cause your heart to skip a beat and make you fear: ‘this is the one that’s going to take me out of here!’ It’s the thing you pray about in secret. It’s what you don’t want people to see, hear, think, or know about. So, like Naaman, you wear your ‘brass,’ in front of the army, then go home and agonize over your condition alone. Understand this: God teaches some of His greatest lessons in the VALLEYS of life! That’s where you learn to lie prostrate before Him, weeping and broken. It’s where you pray: ‘God, don’t let this thing destroy me. Deal with it through the power of Your Holy Spirit.’ And here’s the good news: that kind of prayer brings deliverance. “The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” (Ray Kroc). So the very first thing you need to deal with in leadership is your OWN CONDITION! In the words of Gene Mauch, “You can’t lead anyone else further than you have gone yourself.” Therefore Leaders, Cure your OWN condition FIRST, then you’ll qualify to be a First Aid Leader to your Followers! Far too many of us in leadership are suffering in silence and no one knows it because we only take our ‘armor’ off in private. So publicly we look like hero’s, we appear to have it altogether, we look as though we’re not touched or fearful or worried about a thing. We’ve learned how to become professional performers on the stage of life. However, so few get to see what we really look like when the curtains close, and all that propped us up is now taken down. It’s only then that we have to look in the mirror and see the sores, bruises, scars, boils, spots of our condition. But unfortunately, that’s still not when we address the condition, we just study how to cover it up even better tomorrow. Leaders, we can’t walk around sick ourselves, yet trying to heal others. So whatever your ‘condition’ is, be it physical, mental, emotional, financial, social, or spiritual, be honest about your condition and get the help you so desperately need to heal, so that you can get back to the ministry of healing others. Mark 16:17-18, “And those who believe shall use my authority to cast out demons, and they shall speak new languages. They will be able even to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them; and they will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them.” (TLB) Address your condition so you can get back to the work of helping others heal too!

Secondly, Naaman had a UNIQUE PROBLEM. In recalling this story Jesus said, “…MANY LEPERS were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, AND NONE OF THEM WAS CLEANSED EXCEPT NAAMAN…”‘ (Luke 4:27 NKJV). It’s easy to believe God for something you’ve seen Him do before, but to be in Naaman’s shoes, of not just having leprosy, but knowing of NO ONE who had ever been healed of it, that took a bad matter and made it even worse! Are you being tested today because of a UNIQUE situation in your life, your health, your ministry, your family, your marriage or your career? Are you afraid to talk about it because you don’t know anybody who’s ever beaten your particular problem? If so, stop focusing on the problem and start focusing on God! He doesn’t need anything to begin with in order to solve your problem! Remember, in Genesis He hung the earth on nothing, and it’s still turning every day! Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning God (Elohim) created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.” (AMP) The Message Bible says it like this, “First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.” (MSG) Therefore, no matter how dark, crucial, empty, or unique your situation may be, no matter if you can’t even find a point of reference of just one person who walked out of your situation and survived, still you are yet to believe God! 2 Corinthians 5:7, “for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]—” (AMP) As believers, we are to remember what He Said, no matter what we See! We have to remember, if He can make something out of nothing with an entire universe, than He surely can do for us what has no point of reference either! Look at it like this, Cain killed Abel, but Seth was still born! The Bible says this: Genesis 4:25-26, “Adam slept with his wife again. She had a son whom she named Seth. She said, “God has given me another child in place of Abel whom Cain killed.” And then Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. That’s when men and women began praying and worshiping in the name of God.” (MSG) The Amplified Bible reads like this: Adam knew [Eve as] his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for [she said], “God has granted another child for me in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.”  To Seth, also, a son was born, whom he named Enosh (mortal man, mankind). At that [same] time men began to call on the name of the Lord [in worship through prayer, praise, and thanksgiving]. (AMP) This is a story that begins with jealousy, plots and murder, and yet ends with a son and grandson who invoke worship, prayer, praise and thanksgiving! Know this: Just because your condition is hard, unique, never heard of, and has no point of reference of anyone surviving it, it is still not an impossible task for God! Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible.” (AMP); Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (AMP) There is nothing He can’t do but lie and fail! Joshua 21:45, “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel failed; all had come to pass.” (AMP); Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?” (AMP) Hebrews 6:18, “so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge would have strong encouragement and indwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us.” (AMP) Titus 1:2, “based on the hope and divine guarantee of eternal life, [the life] which God, who is ever truthful and without deceit, promised before the ages of time began,” (AMP) So take your condition before the Lord, whatever your lot may be, and get the direction you need to heal and recover! What’s impossible for man, is still not impossible for God, no matter how uniquely bad or hard it is! Jeremiah 32:27, “I’m the Lord, the God of all mankind; is there anything too hard for me?” (TLB). The Message Bible says it like this: “Stay alert! I am God, the God of everything living. Is there anything I can’t do?” (MSG). And what should your response be? NO! Back to our text: The Bible says that Naaman was a ‘great… man,’ but God was about to make him a greater one! Whenever He does that He permits us to get into predicaments without human solutions! When He wants us to have great influence He often permits us to face great challenges! It’s how He moves us from being impressive for a moment to being truly exceptional for a lifetime! But when He does, be careful, one of the first questions people will ask is, ‘How did YOU do it?’ They’ll start admiring YOUR status and YOUR armor, when all the time it was YOUR Affliction that drove you to your knees and allowed God to make you the person you’ve become! Before you can be exceptional you must work to develop a faith that believes God for the impossible, and trusts what He says regardless of the odds! “Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who believed that something inside of them was superior to circumstance.” (Bruce Barton). I encourage you to focus your attention on God and not your circumstances, nor your condition. Give it to God by faith and watch the new testimony He gives you when it’s all said and done! With God, All Things (Even What You’re Dealing With) is Possible to Be Made Better! Your Pain and Problem are Just an Opportunity to Invite God’s Purpose and Plans Into Your Situation! God Never Wastes Pain!

Thirdly, when God gives you an answer, DON’T ARGUE AND DON’T RATIONALIZE! Just do what He tells you-and you’ll come up clean! Naaman’s pride almost cost him his life! When he left Elisha’s house he was angry because Elisha hadn’t come out to speak with him PERSONALLY. Instead he sent ‘a messenger’ out to tell him to go dip seven times in the muddy Jordan River. ‘Aren’t there cleaner rivers?‘ Naaman asked, feeling insulted. At this point Naaman’s servant said, ‘…if the prophet had told you to do something great, you’d have done it. Wouldn’t it be worth obeying him in order to live?‘ (v. 13). Today God is asking you the same question. Wouldn’t it be worth humbling yourself to come up clean? To confess your sin, share your story and ask for help? Wouldn’t it be worth risking the disapproval or misunderstanding of those who don’t matter because they’re not a part of God’s plan for your life anyway? Listen, don’t let your reputation get in the way of your restoration! Don’t let the Devil entice you to other rivers which have no power to save, heal, cleanse or deliver! All you need is the kind of faith that involves looking foolish for awhile: the kind that keeps you dependent on God when it looks like everybody else is doing better than you! Go ahead, dip in the river of God’s grace, and keep dipping! Though you’ve been insulted, though your feelings are hurt, though the process doesn’t seem to make sense, though you’ve reached the end of your rope and you want to quit, keep dipping! No matter how silly you look, regardless to how demeaning the request may sound, dip anyhow! Act on the Word God has given you! Miracles are for the obedient, not the wishful. “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” (Anthony Robbins). So what will be the decision you’ll make today? Are you going to keep your condition hidden behind your armor, or are you going to finally come clean so you can finally come clean?! Truth is, we all have something that we struggle with from day-to-day. Some of us just have master’s degrees in the art of masquerading, but we all still have our own personal struggles. So don’t think that you are the only one. However, you are the only one who can address your condition and find the help you need. After all, how much longer could Naaman hide his leprosy behind his armor? You see, leprosy doesn’t stick to staying behind the armor because that’s where you would prefer it. No, wherever there is skin you’ll see its evidence. Which means, eventually it will get to places that you can’t hide. And why be forced to be exposed when you can simply uncover your own condition and be honest and humble as you seek help.

Before leaving the story of Naaman let’s observe two more things:

1) Everybody Needs Help! Not just the down-‘n’-outers, but the up-‘n’-outers too! Being a five-star general doesn’t mean a thing when your leadership, legacy and life are dying of leprosy! ‘But they wouldn’t listen to someone like me,’ you say. Maybe not today, but when things get bad enough you’d be surprised how they listen! Just serve with excellence and be ready with an answer when the time comes. Your go-through will eventually help someone else get through. Remember, Jesus said not one leper was cleansed except Naaman. Maybe you’re that one person whom God will do such a work in, that it will be a testament of encouragement to others who are suffering in silence. Believe it or not, but somebody needs you, and all that you’ve been through, so as soon as you take care of you, take care of them. Everybody needs help, even those whose hurt is carefully hidden behind titles, positions, high chairs, degrees, initials, big offices, fancy clothes, nice hair, expensive cars and shiny armor! Be the witness of healing that helps someone else become a witness of healing.

2) God’s Hand Is On You to Minister Where He’s Placed You! It was the encouragement of someone who got close enough to see Naaman’s real problem, then introduced him to God’s Mouthpiece, that brought about his healing! When God puts you close to someone and makes you privy to certain information, He does it so that you can follow the Word of God: “The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary…” (Isaiah 50:4). God used a cleaning lady who worked in his own house to reach Naaman! What if she’d rebelled against making beds and washing dishes? Or decided to go out and gossip about the problem instead? Today you have a role to play in God’s plans in the lives of others too. The servant who challenged Naaman to humble himself and dip seven times in the Jordan River is not named in Scripture, neither is the servant girl, but they were both indispensable to the process! And so are you! Few athletes have more fans than basketball star Michael Jordan. Yet when a reporter asked him why he liked his dad to attend his games, he replied, ‘When he’s there, I know I have at least one fan!’ Saints, everybody needs encouragement, even if it comes from just one person! Please embrace this: you can literally speak a word that changes someone’s life! Proverbs 18:21, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” (MSG) “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” (John Quincy Adams). And leaders always speak life!

Leaders, today determine to Follow Naaman’s Lead, and Cure Your OWN Condition First! Though your problem is Unique, Trust God With It’s Resolution! When God Gives You the Resolution, Don’t Argue and Don’t Rationalize, Just Do What He Says, When He Says and How He Says! And Always Remember As His Servants, We Are to Minister Where God Places Us, Regardless to Title, or Lack Thereof! If Naaman kept thinking too highly of himself, he would’ve disregarded the advice of his nameless servants who were apart of the process to his healing. Make sure you serve and help others without your name needing to be mentioned. Likewise leaders, learn to keep an ear to the wisdom coming from the mouths of the nameless. You never know who will hand you the key to escape from your condition!

Learn From Naaman and Then Share Your Lessons With Others!

Psalm 118:17,”I didn’t die. I lived! And now I’m telling the world what God did. God tested me, He pushed me hard, but He didn’t hand me over to Death. Swing wide the city gates—the righteous gates! I’ll walk right through and thank God! This Temple Gate belongs to God, so the victors can enter and praise.” (MSG)

Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death.” (AMP)

Leaders, Know Today That Neither Your Suffering or Serving Are in Vain! Recovery is Coming! Just Make Sure You Obey in the Process!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Leaders, Your Suffering is NOT in Vain”

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“Let God Handle the Payback!”

Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, “I’ll PAY YOU BACK for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and He will deliver you” {NIV}

Contrary to popular belief, REVENGE ISN’T SWEET; in fact it actually makes us SOUR! Marcus Aurelius, said it best: “The best revenge is to be UNLIKE him who performed the injury”

Furthermore, studies have shown an association between negative emotions such as Anger and Revenge with a variety of Destructive Physical Symptoms, including headaches, backaches, allergic disorders, ulcers, nausea, high blood pressure and heart attacks! Sadly, while vengeful people plot another’s demise, they are unaware that for themselves they often develop a painful health problem! In a nutshell, they don’t realize that Paybacks have a way of Paying You Back Too!

Mahatma Gandhi gave us this insight: “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind”. Which is why it’s vital that you Remember for every Payback there is a Surcharge YOU will have to Pay Also!

Revenge is an outward manifestation of an underlying problem: ANGER! Anger left unchecked will deepen into bitter roots of resentment or even jealousy. And when these Unbiblical attitudes are full-grown, the desire for revenge springs up! I agree with Buddha, at least in this respect: “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; When You Are The One Who Gets Burned”! Your anger is Definitely Doing Damage, the problem is, You’ve Overlooked the Burn Marks In Your Hands to Prove to You WHO Really Received the Damage!

Revenge Opposes the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Another translation says it like this: “So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so Do Also To And For Them…” (AMP). Therefore, if you seek Forgiveness when you are in the wrong, don’t expect to get it if Revenge is the Seed You’ve Sown in the Lives of Others!

My mama would say: “Give What You Want to Get!”

You see, instead of taking things into our own hands, this proverb encourages us to let go and let God deal with our enemies! Because God is Just, those who are wicked will eventually get their “just due!” Therefore, You are Never to Exercise Vengeance because God said: “Beloved, Never Avenge Yourselves, but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance Is MINE, I Will Repay (requite), says the LORD” (Romans 12:19 AMP). Vengeance Belongs to God, and He Alone Has the Right to Exercise It! And Unless You Can Prove You Are Indeed GOD, You Have No Rights to Vengeance! Another translation reads like this: “Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; THAT’S NOT FOR YOU TO DO. “I’LL DO THE JUDGING,” SAYS GOD. “I’LL TAKE CARE OF IT” (MSG). Did you catch all that? You don’t get to hit back, you don’t get to get even, you don’t get to judge and you don’t get to take care of it! That Is All In God’s Authorization and Under His Jurisdiction Alone! The word “jurisdiction” means: “the official power to make legal decisions and judgments; the territory or sphere over which the legal authority of a court or other institution extends” It’s Latin Origin comes from “Jus” meaning “Law” and “Dicere” meaning “Say”. In other words, When It Comes to Vengeance, God Alone Has Jurisdiction to Make Decisions! Why? Because that’s what the Law (Bible) Says!

In a nutshell: Get Angry if you must, But You Can’t Get Even!

“Revenge is always the weak pleasure of a little and narrow mind” (Juvenal) And surely You’re Smarter Than That?!

Louis XII of France is said to have treated his enemies in an Unexpected Manner after ascending to the throne. Before coming to power, he had been cast into prison and kept in chains. Later when he did become king, he was urged to seek revenge on those who had opposed him, BUT HE REFUSED! Instead, he prepared a scroll on which he listed all who had perpetrated crimes against him. Behind every man’s name he placed a Cross In Red Ink! When the guilty heard about this, they feared for their lives and fled. Then the king explained, “The Cross which I drew beside each name was not a sign of punishment, but a pledge of forgiveness extended for the sake of the crucified Savior, who upon His Cross Forgave His Enemies and Prayed For Them.”

Moral of the Story: Just because you have a Right to be angry, doesn’t mean you can exercise it to cause injury! In God’s Book, that’s still Wrong!

“Anyone who angers you, conquers you!” (Author Unknown) And last I checked, the Bible Still Says, You Are to Be Led or Controlled By the Holy Spirit ONLY, Not Your Emotions, Feelings or Hurts! So stop allowing your anger, resentment, and attempts at revenge to become your mini-god! You’ve bowed down to it long enough and often enough already! Cast down the idol of your anger, resentment and revenge, and serve the Lord as His True Disciple: “Let me give you a new command: Love One Another. In the Same Way I loved you, you Love One Another. This is how everyone will Recognize That You Are My Disciples – When They See The Love You Have For Each Other” (John 13:35 MSG)

You can’t say out of one side of your mouth that you love God, but out of the other side say you hate your brother or sister! The Bible reads: “If anyone boasts, “I Love God,” and goes right on Hating His Brother or Sister, Thinking Nothing of It, HE IS A LIAR. If he won’t Love the Person He Can See, How Can He Love the God He Can’t See? The Command We Have From Christ Is Blunt: Loving God Includes Loving People. You’ve Got to Love Both” (1 John 4:20 MSG).

You can’t Praise God and Curse Your Brother or Sister!

“My dear friends, with our tongues we speak Both Praises and Curses. We Praise Our Lord and Father, And We Curse People Who Were Created To Be Like God, AND THIS ISN’T RIGHT” (James 3:9-10 CEV). Like it or not, if you’re going to Love God, You’ve Got To Love LIKE God!

“Revenge is often like biting a dog because the dog bit you” (Austin O’Malley). And just as stupid as that sounds, is just as stupid as you sound when you desire revenge! You want to payback someone with evil for evil they’ve done to you! Yep, that sounds just as stupid as biting a dog that bit you! And surely you don’t want to walk around with stupid written across your forehead!

Listen, I’ve learned that getting revenge may get us even with our enemies, but forgiveness Places Us Above Them! In fact, we are never more LIKE God than when we turn the other cheek!

In the Lord’s Prayer, the Only petition that is Conditional is Forgiveness! “Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Also Have Forgiven Our Debtors” (Matthew 6:12) Another translation says it like this: “And Forgive Us our debts, As We Also HAVE FORGIVEN (LEFT, REMITTED, AND LET GO OF THE DEBTS, AND HAVE GIVEN UP RESENTMENT AGAINST) Our Debtors” (AMP). Did you get that? Forgive Us Because We’ve ALREADY FORGIVEN THEM FIRST! Now That’s Within Your Jurisdiction!

Hear the Word: “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and WHAT YOU DO. YOU CAN’T GET FORGIVENESS FROM GOD, FOR INSTANCE, WITHOUT ALSO FORGIVING OTHERS. IF YOU REFUSE TO DO YOUR PART, YOU CUT YOURSELF OFF FROM GOD’S PART” (Matthew 6:15 MSG). However, I don’t think we fully grasp this Scripture!

Look at it this way: If you are angry with your brother or sister over what he or she did to you November 1, 2009, and you haven’t forgiven them since, all the wrong YOU’VE done since November 1, 2009 HAS NEVER BEEN FORGIVEN BY GOD NO MATTER HOW MANY PRAYERS YOU’VE PRAYED! BECAUSE YOUR FORGIVENESS HINGES ON THEIR FORGIVENESS! I’ll reiterate the text: “In prayer there is a CONNECTION between what God does and WHAT YOU DO. YOU CAN’T GET FORGIVENESS FROM GOD, FOR INSTANCE, WITHOUT ALSO FORGIVING OTHERS. IF YOU REFUSE TO DO YOUR PART, YOU CUT YOURSELF OFF FROM GOD’S PART” (Matthew 6:15 MSG). I don’t know about you, but I do too much wrong from day-to-day that needs the forgiveness of God, that I can’t afford to go year-by-year Living Outside of the Forgiveness of God! 

REMEMBER: IT’S CONDITIONAL! YOU ARE FORGIVEN AFTER YOU’VE FORGIVEN!

People of God, the Scripture Will Not Change Just Because You’ve Been Wronged! The Fact Is, If You Don’t Forgive Them, HE Will Not Forgive You! Now, Do You Really Want To Take Chances Living Outside The Forgiveness of God?! Are You Really That Angry With Someone That You Would Rather Walk Around Unforgiven By God?! I don’t know about you, but Absolutely No One Can Make Me That Mad! Anger, Revenge, Resentment, Unforgiveness are All Expensive! They Will Cost You God’s Forgiveness; Heaven as Your Home; a Crown; a Robe; Your Name Written In the Lamb’s Book of Life; Peace; Joy; Contentment etc…

Therefore, I ask you again, Is Payback Really Worth That Much To You That You Would Pay This High Price to Bankrupt Your Own Soul By Losing So Much of God’s Goodness!?!

Take some time today to really think that over!

Someone may ask you, why should we forgo revenge and offer forgiveness? Tell them it’s simple, Because We Have Been Forgiven Repeatedly and Completely By God! Therefore, We Can’t Live Anyway Contrary! We Must Do For Others What Has Been Done For Us, Forgive, Repeatedly and Completely!

To Issue Payback Is Human, But To Pardon Is Divine!

Let’s go a little further:

Matthew 18:15-17, “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him – work it out BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.” (MSG).

Saints, Don’t Be Messy! Don’t allow your hurt to make you act out of character. If there should be in issue between you and another, take it to them alone! Don’t make a scene; don’t make a show; this is not about a performance, but repositioning two people at odds so they can call it even. Don’t get caught up in the cliques; don’t involve anyone that’s not a part of the problem and solution.

You see, this is where the church often gets messy at. Because we talk to everybody about the situation, except the one person it truly involves. And of course we only give our side, which is the side that shows us in the best light, although this light is usually a lot more dim than we’d really like to  admit. We want to hear everybody tell us we’re right and we deserve to pay them back for what they did. And truthfully, it’s okay to feel hurt even anger when someone wrongs you, but you still have to go about handling it the right way. You can’t say you love God while you curse them out. You can’t say you live for God when you’re trying to destroy someone else’s life. You can’t say you want to be like God while your characteristics are contrary to His character. Take the issue to whom it belongs and resolve it in a godly manner where God would be able to look and say, ‘My children are acting like they belong to Me now.’ Stop inviting outside guests to see you act a fool. Make amends even if you weren’t the one that caused the breach. Remember, you don’t receive forgiveness when you don’t give it.

Matthew 18:21-22, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, when my fellow believer sins against me, how many times must I forgive him? Should I forgive him as many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times. You must forgive him even if he wrongs you seventy times seven” (NCV).

To many this seems unfair. It seems wrong. It seems unjust. However, what if God only forgave us seven times, then stopped, where would we be? Can you imagine God saying ‘sorry, you’ve maxed out your forgiveness benefits.’ And Peter only offered seven times. But from birth, how many times have we wronged God? If this were the case, a lot of us wouldn’t be forgiven past our youth! You’re not going to want to hear this, but as a believer, you don’t get to put a limit on forgiveness. Why? Because God doesn’t put a limit on your forgiveness. And since your forgiveness is directly connected to theirs, do you really want God to cut you off as Peter would suggest, at seven?  I think not. Because as saved as we are, we sin beyond seven times by the time we wake up in the morning! We need God’s constant forgiveness, and likewise our brothers and sisters need our constant forgiveness. Pray and ask God to give you a heart of compassion like His. To give you tougher skin to handle offense, because offense will come, and most often by those we love most. Think of Jesus. After all He did among the 12, three of them couldn’t even stay awake for Him in prayer, one would betray Him and only one could be found at the foot of the cross at His death! And yet, He didn’t replace them; didn’t cut them off; didn’t destroy the friendship; didn’t keep rehearsing what they did and didn’t do. No, He continued to be with them, to reveal more of Himself to them, He still loved them and loved them so much so, that He forgave them. Let us as Christians, start acting more Christ-Like. Stop keeping a head count on who hurt you and how many times. Because if God were to count how many times you’ve hurt Him, what would that number look like?

Today, forgive greatly because you have been greatly forgiven.

Ephesians 4:32, “Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.” (MSG).

Don’t let your mouth get messy! Keep your mouth off people’s lives, and yes that includes those who have hurt you. The Bible clearly speaks against us, Believers, using cutting words, backbiting and profane talk against anyone. That’s not how we speak. That’s not our language. Our words have life and death power, and because we belong to Him, and are to act like Him, our words need to speak life. Not gossip, not slander, not rumors, not lies, not belittling. We are to speak life, and do so in a manner that is both gentle and sensitive. After all, you can’t be nasty towards someone who you’re mad at because they were nasty towards you. We don’t get to play tit-for-tat. We should have put all our childish ways aside long ago. We are mature, character and integrity driven saved folks. And it’s high time we act like it. Use your speech for conversation not cursing.

In addition, remember, once again, to not only forgive, but to do so quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Don’t hold anymore grudges! Don’t keep replaying the wrong in your mind. Move quickly and thoroughly in forgiveness, which also means you forgive Completely! Don’t use the cowardice way of ‘I’ll forgive but I won’t forget’. That’s a back-handed insult to God. That’s a form of godliness while denying it’s full power to transform you. Live and forgive just as God did for you…quickly and thoroughly!

Luke 6:27-36, “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat- stuff. Live generously. Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that. I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never – I promise – regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.” (MSG).

Does this really need any further comment?!

2 Corinthians 5:18, “God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships” (GWT)

People of God, we are not in the business of recklessness, but restoration. Therefore, today, stop tearing down people, stop hurting others because they hurt you. Stop causing discord and division. We are the body of Christ, and as such we are to maintain Its’ health and well-being. And that’s hard to do when you keep pouring the poison of revenge into the Body of Christ. Remember you’ve been called to the ministry of reconciliation, not the messiness of retaliation. Jesus laid down His life to restore our relationship with the Father. And now it’s time for us to follow suit. Let’s restore our relationship with our brothers and sisters, after all, wouldn’t that be what our Father wants of us His children, especially since He used His own Son to do this very thing on our behalf?

1 Peter 3:8-12, “Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless – that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things.” (MSG)

People of God, for us, pay back is a blessing! No exceptions! This is our lifestyle, this is our conduct, this is our behavior. Does it take away the sting of the hurt? Nope! Does it please the Father? Yes! And isn’t that what this is all about? Doing what pleases the Father? It’s what Jesus did, it’s how Jesus lived. Today, let us follow in His footsteps behaving the very same way. Let’s give unbelievers reason to want to inspect our faith further. Let’s live in such a right way, even when we’ve been done wrong, that makes those who hurt us question their own actions. Let’s be a healthy Body of Christ. A healthy church. Healthy believers. After all, if sin is sickening to death, how can an unhealthy Body help bring the cure to the World that needs it? We can’t try to save them, heal them, deliver them, and our conduct says nothing of salvation, healing and deliverance, but instead it represents malice, anger, revenge and unforgiveness. Let’s live in such a way that we Shine, and not have that shine dimmed by pay back.

Pay Back is a Blessing, So if You are to Pay Anyone Today, Make the Payment a Blessing, and Watch God Add to You a Bonus!

You Handle Forgiveness, Let God Handle Payback!

“Don’t treat people the way they treat you. Treat people the way God treats you.” (Davis Willis)

“Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” {Corrie ten Boom}

“Revenge has no more quenching effect on emotions than salt water has on thirst” {Walter Weckler}

“When we take revenge against another, we lose some of our innocence.” {Patrice Redd Vecchione}

“Revenge converts a little right into a great wrong” {German Proverb}

“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward” {Author Unknown}

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

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“Prayer is the Cure for Healing the Land”

2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (NIV)

Solomon’s temple was finally complete. The work of 70,000 laborers, 80,000 stone cutters, and 3,600 foremen—finished. Pure gold covered parts of the interior. Precious inlaid stones sparkled. The Ark of the Covenant inhabited the Holy of Holies. Only the presence of God was missing. So Solomon prays, “…Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place…” (2 Chronicles 6:41 NKJV). And how did God respond? “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.” (2 Chronicles 7:1 NKJV). The people fell on their faces declaring, “…For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 7:3 NKJV). Then, after 15 days of celebration Solomon retreated to his palace.           

BUT GOD WASN’T FINISHED SPEAKING!

God knows our tendency to forget His blessings and go our own way. And often times we get so caught up in what God did that we act as though He can’t and won’t do anything else. But God had so much more in store! But in order for Him to release it, there were some conditions that had to be met. And these conditions still remain today. And that word “Condition” is defined as “to set prior requirements on (something) BEFORE it can occur.” Its Latin Origin “Condicion” which means “Agreement”, comes from its root “Condicere” which means “To Agree Upon.” In other words, God was ready to do some great things for His people, HOWEVER, they had to agree with Him on the set requirements He put in place BEFORE they could attain the greater blessings! And what was His Set Requirements?               

God said:

1.. “If MY PEOPLE, who are called by MY NAME.” – We must turn from Self-Promotion to God-Promotion. God makes it clear from the start, you are “…MY PEOPLE…” and you are called by “…MY NAME.” However, somehow we’ve managed to high-jack God’s Church From Him! We’ve made all the programs, protocols, banquets, anniversaries, services, and the like about US…NOT HIM! But the 2 very important requirements for us to always remember is that it’s not about us, nor is it about our names! The Bible makes it clear: “If you look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-12 MSG) And that’s the hard pill to swallow that the church keeps choking on: IT’S NOT ABOUT US OR OUR NAME! The first thing we need to get back to is FOCUS! And not on US, but on HIM!

2.. “Will HUMBLE THEMSELVES and pray.” – We must turn from Self-Reliance to God-Reliance. I love the fact that Humility comes BEFORE Prayer! In fact, I believe we would pray much differently, and effectively if we entered prayer in Humility first! Unfortunately, however, as a church, we’ve become very pompous, entitled, prideful, egotistical, and arrogant. We have 5-layer embroidered robes, rings the size of our fists, crosses bigger than the one Jesus hung on, and pulpit chairs that look like they belong in the throne room of God. Jesus had an inner circle of 3, yet we have an entourage of 30. Our hidden agenda and personal itinerary (masked as our motto and vision) is engraved on the building, our picture is in the vestibule, our names are always called, applauded and receive standing ovations that God doesn’t even get on Communion Sunday when it is His very blood and body in which we partake of that saved our lives. When did the church lose her humility? The Bible says: “Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (HUMILITY) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.” (Ephesians 4:2 AMP); “Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of HUMILITY (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].” (Philippians 2:3 AMP); “…What matters is not your outer appearance – the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes – but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in…” (1 Peter 3:1-6 MSG). Church, before we get back to Prayer, let us first get back to Humility!

3.. “And seek MY FACE.” – We must turn from Self-Direction to God-Direction. Which makes me wonder, when exactly did we start to treat God like a genie in a bottle? We like to rub Him with phony praise, and eloquent prayers so He pops out the bottle and performs just for us. But when did we get so caught up in His Hand that we forgot about His Face, in the first place? The Bible says: “The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His FACE to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] COUNTENANCE upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually)” (Numbers 6:24-26 AMP). The Message Bible says it like this: “God bless you and keep you, God smile on you and gift you, God look you full in the FACE and make you prosper.” (MSG). I’m amazed that this blessing speaks of the Lords FACE: “…shining…enlightening…being gracious, kind, merciful, favorable…approving countenance…peace…tranquility…smiling…gifting…and prosperity…” and all of it focuses on HIS FACE…NOT HIS HAND, yet His Children only seek…His Hand! Before you enter prayer with your long to-do-list for God, all of the blessings you need bestowed, the miracles you need performed, the debts you need cancelled, the sickness you need healed, the monies you need deposited in your bank account within the next 15 minutes, how about you try instead to enter in prayer with Worship?! NOT entering in hoping that God makes it Worth Your While! No, just enter in with Worship. The word “Worship” is defined as “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity; great admiration or devotion.” Its Old English Origin literally means “worthiness or acknowledgement of worth.” But the BIBLE defines it better! Revelation 4:10, reads, “At the same time the twenty-four elders knelt down before the One sitting on the throne. And as they WORSHIPED the One Who lives forever, they placed their crowns in front of the throne…” (CEV). That word “Worship” is “Proskuneo” (pros-koo-neh-oh) and it’s from the words “Pros” meaning “Toward” and “Kuneo” meaning “To Kiss.” And unlike the Pope, the Lord has not asked us to kiss the ring on his hand…but to kiss His Face…IN WORSHIP! Our worship is how we show the value of the Lords worth to us! Listen, while so many are waiting for the Lord to hand them Prosperity from His Hand, the Blessing of Numbers 6 informs us that Prosperity comes from His Face! Remember: Seek HIS FACE!

4.. “And TURN from their wicked ways.” We must turn from Self-Indulgence to Self-Examination. I love the word “Turn” because it’s defined as “to move into a different position, especially so as to face or move in the opposite direction.” And that word “Opposite” has its Latin Origin “Oppositus”, from the root “Opponere”, and means “To Be Set Against.” Now, regardless to popular belief, saying you’ve turned from the old to the new, and actually showing evidence of it are two totally different things! Because to “Turn” requires Action! It’s to move into a different position and face the direct opposite direction and to set yourself against, or to become an enemy of your former standing. In essence, if you were used to going South, you now go North, if you were used to going West, you now go East! When you become a new creature, you don’t return to your old crap! You turn, you change direction! The Bible says: “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP); “We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4 AMP); “Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart.” (Matthew 3:8 AMP). Church, we’ve talked about changing and turning long enough, now is the time to actually do it! Why? Because the Bible warns: “So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 AMP); “But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].” (James 1:22 AMP). In a nutshell: Today is your day to make a Turn for the better!               

And after all of that what happens next? Well, the Bible says: “THEN”!

“…THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land!” I love the word “Then” because it’s defined as “After This or After That“! So after WE, THE CHURCH, fulfill the pre-conditions of God……”THEN” Happens!              

People of God, the turn-around this country needs, is dependent on if and when WE make the decision to turn back to God! The change doesn’t happen when unbelievers turn to God, but GOD said, “IF MY PEOPLE…CALLED BY MY NAME.” Birthing a significant, effective, change for the better has always begun with GOD’S PEOPLE.

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. THEN there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4 NKJV) And things were NEVER the same!

If there is going to be a National turn around, it has to begin with “MY PEOPLE…CALLED BY MY NAME.”

And when you look at the 3-fold blessing that God will bestow it makes you wonder, what are we waiting for?!

1. “…THEN will I hear from heaven…”;
2. “…and will forgive their sin…”;
3. “… and will heal their land!”

And all we have to do, as God’s people, called by His name, is to obey the Set Requirements:

1. Humble Ourselves;
2. Pray;
3. Seek His Face; and
4. Turn From Our Wicked Ways…

‘THEN’…AFTER THAT…God Promises to Hear From Heaven; Forgive Sin and Heal the Land! I reiterate, CHURCH, what are we waiting for?

Other translations of the text read like this:

“If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (AMP);

“if My people who are called by My name put away their pride and pray, and look for My face, and turn from their sinful ways, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (NLV);

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” (NLT).

But I think the one I love most is this version: “If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again.” (CEV).

It amazes me that we often think of the “The World” and “Unbelievers” as the problem to why there’s sin, no forgiveness and no healing. But GOD says, “…IF MY OWN PEOPLE…TURN BACK TO ME AND STOP SINNING…”

CHURCH, HE’S TALKING TO US! THE WORLD AND UNBELIEVERS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM, WE ARE! IF WE DARE TO GET BACK TO GOD AND THE WAYS OF GODLINESS, AND STOP ABUSING GRACE WHILE WE CONTINUE TO SIN, GOD WILL HEAR, FORGIVE AND HEAL! AND THE ONLY THING HOLDING UP THE PROCESS IS A PRAYERLESS CHURCH! WE ARE HIS PEOPLE, WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, WE HAVE THE ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEING SALT AND LIGHT AS WELL!

“You are the SALT of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltiness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. You are the LIGHT of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16 AMP).

We Have to Start Impacting the World, Instead of Letting the World Impart Into Us! Remember: Their Change Depends On Our Change! So Let’s Determine Today to Change and Get Back to Being a Nation of God’s People, Who PRAY! Why? Because…

“God appeared to Solomon that very night and said, “I ACCEPT YOUR PRAYER; yes, I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice, a house of worship. If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, PRAYING, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. From now on I’m alert day and night to the PRAYERS offered at this place. Believe me, I’ve chosen and sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I’ve set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I’ll back your kingly rule over Israel—make it a sure thing on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I’m giving to you, namely, ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.’” (7:12-18 MSG)

Isn’t it Absolutely Amazing the Things God Will Do, If Only His People Would Simply PRAY?

“Desperate and soul-stirring prayers result in answers. When God is sought in desperation, He responds.” (Jim Cymbala)

“I think Christians fail so often to get answers to their prayers because they do not wait long enough on God.” (E.M. Bounds)

“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” (Max Lucado)

“When you pray, your prayers are heard by the same God who answered Moses’ prayer for water in the desert; the God who gave Abraham and His barren wife a son; and the God who made the slave Joseph second in power only to Pharaoh. Nothing is impossible for God when you pray and believe for His answer to come.” (Francis Chan)

“We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense.” (Oswald Chambers)

“Prayer is not a ‘spare wheel’ that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a ‘steering wheel’ that directs the right path throughout.”

“Prayer: The most powerful weapon against trials. The most effective medicine against sickness. The most valuable gift to someone you love.”

“It’s not the body’s posture but the heart’s attitude that counts when we pray.” (Billy Graham)

“Sometimes the answer to prayer is not that it changes life, but that it changes you.” (James Dillet Freeman)

“Time spent in prayer is never wasted.” (Francis Fenelon)

“Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.” (Billy Graham)

“Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night.” (George Herbert)

“We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.” (Oswald Chambers)

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” (Martin Luther)

“Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God.” (Mother Teresa)

“Prayer is not just for times of trouble.” (Thomas S. Monson)

“Prayer is a shield to the soul.” (John Bunyan)

“The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him.” (William McGill)

“The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer.” (F.B. Meyer)

“If the only prayer you ever say is ‘thank you’, that will be enough.” (Eckhart Tolle)

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” (Corrie Ten Boom)

“The Word of God is the food by which prayer is nourished and made strong.” (E.M. Bounds)

“God doesn’t move in your life when you struggle, He moves when you pray.”(Author Unknown)

“The more praying there is in the world, the better the world will be.” (E.M. Bounds)

“Prayer is a strong wall and fortress of the church.” (Martin Luther)

“We can do nothing without prayer.” (E.M. Bounds)

“We cannot properly understand Scripture without prayer, and we cannot know how to pray without studying Scripture.” (Becka Goings)

“When you’ve scheduled a time to pray remember this: You have a real appointment with the King of the Universe.” (Author Unknown)

“Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world.” (E.M. Bounds)

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

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“Watch God’s Winter Performance!”

Jeremiah 1:11-12, “Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, WHAT DO YOU SEE? And I said, I SEE a branch or shoot of an almond tree [the emblem of alertness and activity, BLOSSOMING IN LATE WINTER]. Then said the Lord to me, YOU HAVE SEEN WELL, FOR I AM ALERT AND ACTIVE, WATCHING OVER MY WORD TO PERFORM IT!” (AMP).

I love the months surrounding holiday seasons, but in all truth, I honestly won’t mind if the North Pole weather cuts its visit short! I was discussing my deep freeze feelings with a friend who lived in Alaska most of her life, and she actually helped me to possess a different perspective, in fact, an even positive outlook on our cold weather season. She simply said, “Just keep in mind that cold seasons kill a lot of bugs!” Now it didn’t make me happy that I still had to endure the rest of the cold season, but it sure made me happy to know that while I’m dealing with the cold, the cold is dealing with the bugs!

SIMPLY PUT, DON’T LET THE COLD BOTHER YOU, IT’S ACTUALLY KILLING WHAT’S BUGGING YOU!

Far too often we quickly get upset over the Bad, not realizing that it usually leads to something Good! Most of us have lived long enough to see it happen – something Good coming out of something that’s Bad, or even difficult and unpleasant. Therefore, if you’re in a season in your life that’s pretty cold right now, and you’re feeling the chill of crisis; the breeze of bitterness; the winds of worry; the damp of depression; the ice of irritation; the blizzard of backbiters; the storms of struggle; and the rains of restlessness, know THAT EVEN WHEN THE CONDITIONS OF THE SEASON RESTRICT YOU, THEY CAN NEVER CONSTRICT YOUR GOD!

You see, the word “RESTRICT” means: “TO PUT A LIMIT ON, KEEP UNDER CONTROL, DEPRIVE OF FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OR ACTION” It’s Latin Origin ‘RESTRINGERE’ literally means ‘TO TIE BACK’. We’ve seen that in many winter seasons, as the blizzards hit we’re RESTRICTED in bus, cab, and train service. We’re LIMITED in various methods of transportation, and KEPT UNDER THE CONTROL of snow plows as to when we could move, and how far we could go. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND ACTION was DEPRIVED for so many who couldn’t get to where they needed to, because they’d been “RESTRICTED”. Which is where we coined the phrase: “MY HANDS ARE TIED!”

But bear in mind, that even when we’re ‘RESTRICTED’, God is NEVER ‘CONSTRICTED’! The word ‘CONSTRICTED’ means: “TO MAKE OR BECOME NARROWER, ESPECIALLY BY ENCIRCLING PRESSURE OR ATTEMPTING TO TIGHTEN AROUND”. It’s Latin Origin ‘CONSTRINGERE’ literally means to ‘BIND TIGHTLY TOGETHER’. You see, YOUR GOD IS TOO BIG TO BE MADE NARROW, AND HE’S TOO POWERFUL FOR PRESSURE TO PLACE HIM IN A TIGHT GRIP! EVEN IN SEASONS WHERE YOU’RE ‘RESTRICTED’, TAKE COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT YOUR GOD IS NEVER ‘CONSTRICTED’! EVEN WHEN YOUR HANDS ARE TIED, HIS WILL NEVER BE! REGARDLESS TO THE CONDITION, HE CAN STILL BLESS YOU IN THE MIDST OF YOUR MOST BRITTLE, BITTER AND BRUTAL BLIZZARD! YOUR GOD IS TOO POWERFUL TO BE PRESSURED! EVEN WHEN YOU GROW WEAK, NEVER FORGET THE STRENGTH OF YOUR GOD!

DAVID DIDN’T! 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, “David blessed GOD in full view of the entire congregation: Blessed are you, GOD of Israel, our father from of old and forever. To You, O GOD, belong the Greatness and the Might, the Glory, the Victory, the Majesty, the Splendor; Yes! Everything in Heaven, everything on Earth; the Kingdom all Yours! You’ve raised Yourself High Over All. Riches and Glory come from You, You’re Ruler Over All; You hold Strength and Power in the Palm of Your Hand to Build Up and Strengthen All. And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to You, praising Your Splendid Name.” (MSG)

EVEN WHEN IT DON’T FEEL LIKE IT’S IN YOUR FAVOR, BECAUSE HE’S YOUR GOD…IT IS!

DON’T LET THE WINTER SEASON WORRY YOU, EVERY SEASON HAS TO CHANGE! BUT DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BLESSING AND BENEFITS OF THE COLD SEASON WHILE IT’S HERE!

James 1:2-4, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. SO DON’T TRY TO GET OUT OF ANYTHING PREMATURELY. LET IT DO ITS WORK SO YOU BECOME MATURE AND WELL-DEVELOPED, NOT DEFICIENT IN ANY WAY” (MSG)

One phrase you will hear repetitively during the Winter Season is “I’ll be glad when Winter is over”. But the problem of getting “Out of Season”, Prematurely, is not good. Here’s why: “To every thing there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  So no matter how hard you pray, You Can’t Pray Your Life’s Seasons Away! There are some situations you aren’t meant to Change—You’re Just Meant to Endure! 2 Timothy 2:3, “Take [with me] YOUR SHARE of the hardships and suffering [Which You Are CALLED TO ENDURE] as a good (first-class) solider of Christ Jesus.” (AMP) Paul puts it like this, “For Our Light, Momentary Affliction (This Slight Distress of the Passing Hour) is ever more and more Abundantly Preparing and Producing and Achieving For Us an Everlasting Weight of Glory [Beyond All Measure, Excessively Surpassing All Comparisons and All Calculations, a Vast and Transcendent Glory and Blessedness Never to Cease.” (2 Corinthians 4:17 AMP). In other words, what you’re Currently dealing with that’s Heavily Weighing You Down in the Natural, is considered by the Spirit “…Our Light, Momentary Affliction…” Therefore, you’re not going to deal with it always, But You Have to Deal With It Right Now! So keep in mind, When You Can’t Alter Your Circumstances, That Means They Are a Perfect Fit For Where You Are and Where You’re Going. So Stop Trying to Change Your Circumstantial Clothing! They are only for a Season, and when it’s time to Change, the One who birthed all the Seasons will change it! “Don’t try to get out of anything Prematurely.”

In Winter, trees take advantage of the season to rebuild their strength and prepare to be fruitful next season. Their sap and substance goes underground. Then in the Spring it pushes its way back up again in the form of New Growth. Looking back over your life you’ll find that your achievements are Seasonal. Growth comes, then struggle, and vice versa. Each Season Has Its Purpose. God has a reason for not allowing you to be productive all the time. When He permits Winter winds to blow through your life, He’s preparing you for the coming Spring. That’s why James wrote, “Consider it a …gift…when tests and challenges come at you from all sides…under pressure, your faith…is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So Don’t Try to Get Out of Anything Prematurely. Let It Do Its Work So You Become Mature and Well-Developed, Not Deficient In  Any Way” (MSG). One of the issues you’ll struggle with in a waiting period is the urge to Hurry, Because Your Flesh Always Wants to Make Permanent Decisions Based On Temporary Circumstances. Don’t Do It! Every Situation Doesn’t Call For Immediate Action! The Only Biblical Way For You to Become Mature, Well-Developed and Lacking Nothing Is To Endure Hardship! So if you try to find a short-cut to getting out of your trials, You’ll Have to Take a Longer Journey to Get to Your Destiny!

REMEMBER: THE COLD SEASON GETS RID OF BUGS (AND WHAT’S ‘BUGGING’ YOU), SO DON’T RUSH IT, LET IT COMPLETE ITS WORK!

Somebody has said that, patience is the quality you admire in the driver behind, but not the guy in front! But God Is a God of Order; He Ordains Specific Times For Bringing Specific Purposes to Pass! Habakkuk 2:3, “This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It Will Come Right On Time.” (MSG) It doesn’t pay to try and get ahead of God, so, “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 AMP) That word “stout” is defined as, “to be rather fat or heavily built; sturdy and thick; to be brave; courageous; strong and determined.” This needs to define your heart condition (as well as your faith) as you wait on God! It needs to be unshaken; heavily built; sturdy; brave; courageous; strong and determined, despite what you have to endure while waiting! Remember, this isn’t about Your timing but God’s! So let nothing move you, but God! Because in the end, there are simply certain things that can’t be accomplished “by might, nor by power.” So how are they accomplished? “By MY Spirit, saith the LORD.”

David understood this, that’s why he said, “My times are in YOUR hands…” (Psalm 31:15). Once you understand that, you’ll stop fretting and worrying knowing with certainty that people and problems can’t short-circuit God’s plan for your life. “This is God’s Word on the subject…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING. I HAVE IT ALL PLANNED OUT – PLANS TO TAKE CARE OF YOU, NOT ABANDON YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU THE FUTURE YOU HOPE FOR.” (Jeremiah 29:11 MSG) If you can acknowledge that, you’ll find peace—and stop trying to “make things happen, out of season!” Do Your Part: WAIT! God Already Has His Part PLANNED!

When God drops a seed into your life it needs time to take root and grow. And you don’t have to be concerned with the outcome, because when it’s planted in a fertile, faith-filled heart, the results are guaranteed. The hard part is knowing that you’re on the verge of a breakthrough, then having God tell you to Wait. But it’s times like these, when you think He’s forgotten about you and the promises He made to you, that your patience really gets a workout. It’s in moments like these when your heart begins to faint and your faith begins to waver. But take some advice from David, he said: “I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:1-3 AMPC). When you honor God’s timing, you always land on solid ground, and end up with a fresh reason to praise Him! In other words, it’s not enough to wait, but you have to wait the right way…Patiently and In Praise! Just ask JOSEPH!

The Book of Genesis tells us about a very long winter season in the life of this Old Testament hero. In a nutshell, his brothers hated him because he was his father’s favorite. They threw him in a pit and nearly let him die there. At the last minute, they changed their minds and lightened up a little – they settled for selling him into Egyptian slavery instead. Joseph got a great job in the house of a powerful man, and then lost it when he refused the advances of the boss’s wife and she falsely accused him of assaulting her. Then, two long years in the king’s prison as a result. Ultimately, Joseph came to the attention of Pharaoh who eventually promoted him to second in command in the mighty Egyptian empire. That’s when a famine drove Joseph’s brothers to Egypt in search of food – FOOD ONLY THE BROTHER THEY HAD BETRAYED COULD GIVE THEM BY THE WAY! (SIDEBAR: NEVER HATE YOUR HATERS!)  And when they finally realize who he is and experience the forgiveness and mercy that they DON’T DESERVE, Joseph speaks these words:  “YOU PLANNED EVIL AGAINST ME; GOD PLANNED IT FOR GOOD TO BRING ABOUT THE PRESENT RESULT—THE SURVIVAL OF MANY PEOPLE.” (Genesis 50:20 HCSB). The Message Bible says it like this: “…Don’t you see, you planned evil against me BUT GOD USED THOSE SAME PLANS FOR MY GOOD…” (MSG). Even though your winter is “PLANNED”, scheduled annually to come back around, NEVER FORGET THAT YOUR GOD ALWAYS HAS PLANS OF HIS OWN FOR YOU! “…I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING. I HAVE IT ALL PLANNED OUT—PLANS TO TAKE CARE OF YOU, NOT ABANDON YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU THE FUTURE YOU HOPE FOR” (Jeremiah 29:11 MSG).

WHAT THE WEATHER (AND YOUR HATERS) HAVE PLANNED FOR YOU CAN’T COMPARE TO WHAT THE WILL OF GOD HAS PLANNED FOR YOU! FROM THE PIT TO THE PRISON, JOSEPH WAS SUSTAINED BY ONE THING HE KNEW HAD NOT CHANGED—GOD WAS WORKING ON A BIGGER PLAN! If you belong to Jesus, then Joseph’s God is your God, too. And He’s a God who uses even the wickedness of man to do great things. For Joseph, vengeful brothers, false accusations, and terrible injustices BECAME TOOLS THAT GOD USED TO TAKE HIM TO PLACES AND POSITIONS HE COULD NEVER HAVE GONE OTHERWISE! WHICH IS WHY I REITERATE: DON’T LET THE WINTER BOTHER YOU, BECAUSE IT’S KILLING WHAT’S BUGGING YOU!

If it’s cold right now, if it’s dark right now, don’t let discouragement win. Don’t let bitterness or resentment or resignation ruin the greater plan God is working on. Romans 8:28, “We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a PLAN] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.” (AMP). During this winter in your life, He wants to build in you qualities that will lead to future greatness. He wants to give you a closeness to Him that you’ve never had before and would never get any other way. And then, He wants to use this season to position you to make a greater difference with the rest of your life than you ever imagined! As Cold as it may seem right now, God is working out some pretty Cool plans for your life! Regardless to what the Meteorologist tells you, There Is A Sunny Side to a Cold Season!

In closing, listen to this: King George and his army must have been having a good laugh. You see, George Washington and his Continental Army had been whipped in battle after battle in their campaign to become independent from Britain. British troops had driven the Americans out of New York City, across the Hudson River, across New Jersey, and finally into Pennsylvania. THEN CAME THE WINTER OF 1777, at a place outside of Philadelphia called Valley Forge. Washington’s troops faced not only a Physical Winter there, but an Emotional Winter. Discouragement and defeat may have been their worst enemies. But General Washington wasn’t about to let those enemies win. He fought back by immediately deploying his soldiers to fortifying their camp. Then the drills began. A veteran European military officer began to drill those soldiers every day, teaching them a single set of maneuvers rather than the multiple approaches that had created confusion in those past battles. THAT WINTER, they were learning one way of doing things while Washington worked on getting more recruits and building his army into a real fighting force. Many historians believe that the outcome of America’s battle for independence was decided at Valley Forge more than any other battle – they were an army that came out of Valley Forge to stun the British with major victories! You see, one army WENT INTO THE WINTER at Valley Forge – divided, discouraged, demoralized. However, another army EMERGED FROM THAT WINTER – unified, fortified, and confident because of what they had done with their WINTER!

Reminds me of the quote: “If we had no Winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” (Anne Bradstreet).               

In many ways, the outcome of your battles may be decided, not on the battlefield alone, BUT IN HOW YOU WORK YOUR WINTER. And truth is, you may be in one of those cold, bleak Winter times right now. You could succumb to your fears and your feelings and just surrender. OR you could pull a “Spiritual Valley Forge.” You could use your Winter to get stronger and more focused on what you need to do to win!

There’s another quote that says, “Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in Winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it.” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe). In other words, don’t allow the cold, brittle, brutal winds of Winter to blow you in the direction of defeat! Simply learn how to Work Your Winter and Wait for the Change in Seasons!               

In some ways, Jesus’ disciples expected their Winter to begin with His announced departure to heaven. The One who had called them to be with Him was now leaving them and entrusting to them the work He had started. In Luke 24, Jesus tells them to tell the world about Him and then, “…while He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven.” In a way, their Winter had begun, as it often does when you lose someone you love. But they knew what to do with their Winter! In the book of Acts chapters 1 and 2 teach us what they did to Work Their Winter Season, “they all joined together constantly in prayer.” Then they got their team of 12 back to full strength by replacing Judas with another disciple. And, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place…and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” At that point, they exploded on the city of Jerusalem with the Gospel that would, that day, start spreading around the world! But they had to use their Winter to get together, to regroup, to get stronger, and to get closer to God. You need to handle your Winter the same way. Don’t just sit there worrying or feeling sorry for yourself or wallowing in your emotions. Take action to get strong. Spend extra time with God right now. Strengthen your relationship with your family, friends, coworkers and church family. Think through what you need to stop doing and what you need to start doing to focus on what really matters. And prayerfully plan for a future, right there in the middle of your valley, even when the future looks very uncertain.               

Listen: While the bombs were falling on London during World War II, Winston Churchill was in his underground bunker – not worrying about the bombs, but actually planning the invasion of Germany! In other words, don’t get caught up in your Winter woes, instead use your Winter as a time to sharpen your weaponry for the spiritual warfare ahead! And how do you do that?

1…Get Into the WORD of God: (even as everything in heaven and earth shall pass away, His Word Never Will)! (Mark 13:31, “Heaven and earth will perish and pass away, BUT MY WORDS WILL NOT PERISH OR PASS AWAY.” AMPC); (Isaiah 55:11, “SO SHALL MY WORD BE THAT GOES FORTH OUT OF MY MOUTH: IT SHALL NOT RETURN TO ME VOID [WITHOUT PRODUCING ANY EFFECT, USELESS], BUT IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH I PLEASE AND PURPOSE, AND IT SHALL PROSPER IN THE THING FOR WHICH I SENT IT.” AMPC).

2…Get Into WORSHIP: (the posture where you don’t go seeking God, but He comes seeking you)! (John 4:23, “A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); FOR THE FATHER IS SEEKING JUST SUCH PEOPLE AS THESE AS HIS WORSHIPERS.” (AMPC).

3…Get the WISDOM of God: (it is essential to making wise decisions)! (James 1:5, “If any of you is deficient in wisdom, LET HIM ASK THE GIVING GOD [WHO GIVES] TO EVERYONE LIBERALLY AND UNGRUDGINGLY, WITHOUT REPROACHING OR FAULTFINDING, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN HIM.” AMPC).

4…Get Into the WILL of God: (this is the place that is attached to your promise)! (Hebrews 10:36, “For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish THE WILL OF GOD, AND THUS RECEIVE AND CARRY AWAY [AND ENJOY TO THE FULL] WHAT IS PROMISED.” AMPC).

5…Get Into the Right WARDROBE: (no soldier fights without his fatigues)! And what are fatigues? (The phrase “military fatigues” was coined by the United States Armed Forces in the mid 1800’s, and was used in reference to the clothes worn by soldiers detailed to menial or hard labor. Over time, the definition of military fatigues has changed to essentially mean any uniform worn by a solider on work detail, on duty, or while on the field of battle!) And what are your “fatigues”? (READ: Ephesians 6:11-18).

Discouragement and fear and drifting from God – those are your greatest enemies, not what faces you on your battlefields! This Winter is not dead time or despair time. It’s get ready time! What you do with your Winter will decide whether you win or lose the war! Therefore, Get into the Word of God; Get into Worship; Get the Wisdom of God; Get into the Will of God; and Get into the right Wardrobe! Then Work Your Winter!               

Think about it: If Jeremiah could see the branch or shoot of an almond tree (evidence of alertness and activity that God is still performing His Word, Even In the Lateness of Winter), surely you can see Something Worthwhile in Your Winter season! Remember This: No matter how long or brutal your Winter season is, hold on to God’s Promise: “…I am alert and active, watching over My Word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1:11-12 AMP). Be Encouraged: He’s Still Watching Over His Word to Perform it in Your Life…Even in Late Winter! You wouldn’t think to see almond trees blossoming in late Winter. Shouldn’t that happen in Spring? Well, the wonderful thing about God is that, unlike us, He’s not bound by the Seasons! He can bless you at any given time He deems fit! Your job is to be like Jeremiah, AND SEE IT BLOSSOMING! Before the Winter season ends, you will see the evidence of blessings Springing forth! Keep your eyes open, and see more than just the winds, snow, blizzard, and hazardous conditions. But walk by faith and see the flowers preparing to bloom ALREADY! Wait for it; Watch for it; It Will Come! “Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, I see a branch or shoot of an almond tree [the emblem of alertness and activity, blossoming in late WINTER]. Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, FOR I AM ALERT AND ACTIVE, WATCHING OVER MY WORD TO PERFORM IT” (Jeremiah 1:11-12 AMP). DON’T BOW OUT JUST YET, GOD’S PERFORMANCE IN YOUR LIFE IS NOT OVER!

Note: An almond branch was evidently chosen because it is the first tree to bud in Spring! So, Celebrate! Because After Enduring Your Harsh Winter, You Will Be Among the First to Blossom in Spring!

Luke 1:45, “The Lord has blessed you because you believed that He will keep His promise.” (CEV); “Great blessings are yours because you believed what the Lord said to you! You believed this would happen.” (ERV);

Psalm 138:8, “The Lord will finish the work He started for me…” (NLV); “The Lord will work out His plans for my life…” (TLB);

Philippians 1:6, “And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” (AMPC);

Job 5:9, “His miracles are marvelous, more than we can count.” (CEV);

Joel 2:26, “And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame.” (AMPC);

Romans 4:19-25, “Abraham didn’t focus on his own impotence and say, “It’s hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child.” Nor did he survey Sarah’s decades of infertility and give up. He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That’s why it is said, “Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right.” But it’s not just Abraham; it’s also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God.” (MSG)

“In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer.” (Albert Camus).

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” (William Blake).

“No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn.” (Hal Borland).

“If you think my Winter is too cold, you don’t deserve my Spring.” (Erin Hanson)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Winter Skin Hazards and Help”

“Prayer is the Cure for Healing the Land”

2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” NIV

Solomon’s temple was finally complete. The work of 70,000 laborers, 80,000 stone cutters, and 3,600 foremen—finished. Pure gold covered parts of the interior. Precious inlaid stones sparkled. The Ark of the Covenant inhabited the Holy of Holies. Only the presence of God was missing. So Solomon prays, “…Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place…” (2 Chronicles 6:41 NKJV). And how did God respond? “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.” (2 Chronicles 7:1 NKJV). The people fell on their faces declaring, “…For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 7:3 NKJV). Then, after 15 days of celebration Solomon retreated to his palace.           

BUT GOD WASN’T FINISHED SPEAKING!

God knows our tendency to forget His blessings and go our own way. And often times we get so caught up in what God did that we act as though He can’t and won’t do anything else. But God had so much more in store! But in order for Him to release it, there were some conditions that had to be met. And these conditions still remain today. And that word “Condition” is defined as “to set prior requirements on (something) BEFORE it can occur.” Its Latin Origin “Condicion” which means “Agreement”, comes from its root “Condicere” which means “To Agree Upon.” In other words, God was ready to do some great things for His people, HOWEVER, they had to agree with Him on the set requirements He put in place BEFORE they could attain the greater blessings! And what was His Set Requirements?               

God said:

1.. “If MY PEOPLE, who are called by MY NAME.” – We must turn from Self-Promotion to God-Promotion. God makes it clear from the start, you are “…MY PEOPLE…” and you are called by “…MY NAME.” However, somehow we’ve managed to high-jack God’s Church From Him! We’ve made all the programs, protocols, banquets, anniversaries, services, and the like about US…NOT HIM! But the 2 very important requirements for us to always remember is that it’s not about us, nor is it about our names! The Bible makes it clear: “If you look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-12 MSG) And that’s the hard pill to swallow that the church keeps choking on: IT’S NOT ABOUT US OR OUR NAME! The first thing we need to get back to is FOCUS! And not on US, but on HIM!

2.. “Will HUMBLE THEMSELVES and pray.” – We must turn from Self-Reliance to God-Reliance. I love the fact that Humility comes BEFORE Prayer! In fact, I believe we would pray much differently, and effectively if we entered prayer in Humility first! Unfortunately, however, as a church, we’ve become very pompous, entitled, prideful, egotistical, and arrogant. We have 5-layer embroidered robes, rings the size of our fists, crosses bigger than the one Jesus hung on, and pulpit chairs that look like they belong in the throne room of God. Jesus had an inner circle of 3, yet we have an entourage of 30. Our hidden agenda and personal itinerary (masked as our motto and vision) is engraved on the building, our picture is in the vestibule, our names are always called, applauded and receive standing ovations that God doesn’t even get on Communion Sunday when it is His very blood and body in which we partake of that saved our lives. When did the church lose her humility? The Bible says: “Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (HUMILITY) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.” (Ephesians 4:2 AMP); “Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of HUMILITY (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].” (Philippians 2:3 AMP); “…What matters is not your outer appearance – the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes – but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in…” (1 Peter 3:1-6 MSG). Church, before we get back to Prayer, let us first get back to Humility!

3.. “And seek MY FACE.” – We must turn from Self-Direction to God-Direction. Which makes me wonder, when exactly did we start to treat God like a genie in a bottle? We like to rub Him with phony praise, and eloquent prayers so He pops out the bottle and performs just for us. But when did we get so caught up in His Hand that we forgot about His Face, in the first place? The Bible says: “The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His FACE to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] COUNTENANCE upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually)” (Numbers 6:24-26 AMP). The Message Bible says it like this: “God bless you and keep you, God smile on you and gift you, God look you full in the FACE and make you prosper.” (MSG). I’m amazed that this blessing speaks of the Lords FACE: “…shining…enlightening…being gracious, kind, merciful, favorable…approving countenance…peace…tranquility…smiling…gifting…and prosperity…” and all of it focuses on HIS FACE…NOT HIS HAND, yet His Children only seek…His Hand! Before you enter prayer with your long to-do-list for God, all of the blessings you need bestowed, the miracles you need performed, the debts you need cancelled, the sickness you need healed, the monies you need deposited in your bank account within the next 15 minutes, how about you try instead to enter in prayer with Worship?! NOT entering in hoping that God makes it Worth Your While! No, just enter in with Worship. The word “Worship” is defined as “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity; great admiration or devotion.” Its Old English Origin literally means “worthiness or acknowledgement of worth.” But the BIBLE defines it better! Revelation 4:10, reads, “At the same time the twenty-four elders knelt down before the One sitting on the throne. And as they WORSHIPED the One Who lives forever, they placed their crowns in front of the throne…” (CEV). That word “Worship” is “Proskuneo” (pros-koo-neh-oh) and it’s from the words “Pros” meaning “Toward” and “Kuneo” meaning “To Kiss.” And unlike the Pope, the Lord has not asked us to kiss the ring on his hand…but to kiss His Face…IN WORSHIP! Our worship is how we show the value of the Lords worth to us! Listen, while so many are waiting for the Lord to hand them Prosperity from His Hand, the Blessing of Numbers 6 informs us that Prosperity comes from His Face! Remember: Seek HIS FACE!

4.. “And TURN from their wicked ways.” We must turn from Self-Indulgence to Self-Examination. I love the word “Turn” because it’s defined as “to move into a different position, especially so as to face or move in the opposite direction.” And that word “Opposite” has its Latin Origin “Oppositus”, from the root “Opponere”, and means “To Be Set Against.” Now, regardless to popular belief, saying you’ve turned from the old to the new, and actually showing evidence of it are two totally different things! Because to “Turn” requires Action! It’s to move into a different position and face the direct opposite direction and to set yourself against, or to become an enemy of your former standing. In essence, if you were used to going South, you now go North, if you were used to going West, you now go East! When you become a new creature, you don’t return to your old crap! You turn, you change direction! The Bible says: “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP); “We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4 AMP); “Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart.” (Matthew 3:8 AMP). Church, we’ve talked about changing and turning long enough, now is the time to actually do it! Why? Because the Bible warns: “So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 AMP); “But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].” (James 1:22 AMP). In a nutshell: Today is your day to make a Turn for the better!               

And after all of that what happens next? Well, the Bible says: “THEN”!

“…THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land!” I love the word “Then” because it’s defined as “After This or After That“! So after WE, THE CHURCH, fulfill the pre-conditions of God……”THEN” Happens!              

People of God, the turn-around this country needs, is dependent on if and when WE make the decision to turn back to God! The change doesn’t happen when unbelievers turn to God, but GOD said, “IF MY PEOPLE…CALLED BY MY NAME.” Birthing a significant, effective, change for the better has always begun with GOD’S PEOPLE.

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. THEN there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4 NKJV) And things were NEVER the same!

If there is going to be a National turn around, it has to begin with “MY PEOPLE…CALLED BY MY NAME.”

And when you look at the 3-fold blessing that God will bestow it makes you wonder, what are we waiting for?!

1. “…THEN will I hear from heaven…”;
2. “…and will forgive their sin…”;
3. “… and will heal their land!”

And all we have to do, as God’s people, called by His name, is to obey the Set Requirements:

1. Humble Ourselves;
2. Pray;
3. Seek His Face; and
4. Turn From Our Wicked Ways…

‘THEN’…AFTER THAT…God Promises to Hear From Heaven; Forgive Sin and Heal the Land! I reiterate, CHURCH, what are we waiting for?

Other translations of the text read like this:

“If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (AMP);

“if My people who are called by My name put away their pride and pray, and look for My face, and turn from their sinful ways, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (NLV);

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” (NLT).

But I think the one I love most is this version: “If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again.” (CEV).

It amazes me that we often think of the “The World” and “Unbelievers” as the problem to why there’s sin, no forgiveness and no healing. But GOD says, “…IF MY OWN PEOPLE…TURN BACK TO ME AND STOP SINNING…”

CHURCH, HE’S TALKING TO US! THE WORLD AND UNBELIEVERS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM, WE ARE! IF WE DARE TO GET BACK TO GOD AND THE WAYS OF GODLINESS, AND STOP ABUSING GRACE WHILE WE CONTINUE TO SIN, GOD WILL HEAR, FORGIVE AND HEAL! AND THE ONLY THING HOLDING UP THE PROCESS IS A PRAYERLESS CHURCH! WE ARE HIS PEOPLE, WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, WE HAVE THE ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEING SALT AND LIGHT AS WELL!

“You are the SALT of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltiness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. You are the LIGHT of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16 AMP).

We Have to Start Impacting the World, Instead of Letting the World Impart Into Us! Remember: Their Change Depends On Our Change! So Let’s Determine Today to Change and Get Back to Being a Nation of God’s People, Who PRAY! Why? Because…

“God appeared to Solomon that very night and said, “I ACCEPT YOUR PRAYER; yes, I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice, a house of worship. If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, PRAYING, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. From now on I’m alert day and night to the PRAYERS offered at this place. Believe me, I’ve chosen and sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I’ve set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I’ll back your kingly rule over Israel—make it a sure thing on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I’m giving to you, namely, ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.’” (7:12-18 MSG)

Isn’t it Absolutely Amazing the Things God Will Do, If Only His People Would Simply PRAY?

“Desperate and soul-stirring prayers result in answers. When God is sought in desperation, He responds.” (Jim Cymbala)

“I think Christians fail so often to get answers to their prayers because they do not wait long enough on God.” (E.M. Bounds)

“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” (Max Lucado)

“When you pray, your prayers are heard by the same God who answered Moses’ prayer for water in the desert; the God who gave Abraham and His barren wife a son; and the God who made the slave Joseph second in power only to Pharaoh. Nothing is impossible for God when you pray and believe for His answer to come.” (Francis Chan)

“We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense.” (Oswald Chambers)

“Prayer is not a ‘spare wheel’ that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a ‘steering wheel’ that directs the right path throughout.”

“Prayer: The most powerful weapon against trials. The most effective medicine against sickness. The most valuable gift to someone you love.”

“It’s not the body’s posture but the heart’s attitude that counts when we pray.” (Billy Graham)

“Sometimes the answer to prayer is not that it changes life, but that it changes you.” (James Dillet Freeman)

“Time spent in prayer is never wasted.” (Francis Fenelon)

“Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.” (Billy Graham)

“Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night.” (George Herbert)

“We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.” (Oswald Chambers)

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” (Martin Luther)

“Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God.” (Mother Teresa)

“Prayer is not just for times of trouble.” (Thomas S. Monson)

“Prayer is a shield to the soul.” (John Bunyan)

“The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him.” (William McGill)

“The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer.” (F.B. Meyer)

“If the only prayer you ever say is ‘thank you’, that will be enough.” (Eckhart Tolle)

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” (Corrie Ten Boom)

“The Word of God is the food by which prayer is nourished and made strong.” (E.M. Bounds)

“God doesn’t move in your life when you struggle, He moves when you pray.”

“The more praying there is in the world, the better the world will be.” (E.M. Bounds)

“Prayer is a strong wall and fortress of the church.” (Martin Luther)

“We can do nothing without prayer.” (E.M. Bounds)

“We cannot properly understand Scripture without prayer, and we cannot know how to pray without studying Scripture.” (Becka Goings)

“When you’ve scheduled a time to pray remember this: You have a real appointment with the King of the Universe.”

“Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world.” (E.M. Bounds)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #BeEncouraged2Pray
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