“GOD SEES YOUR POTENTIAL”

Judges 6:15-16, “But Gideon said to Him, “Please Lord, how am I to rescue Israel? Behold, my family is the least [significant] in Manasseh, and I am the youngest (smallest) in my father’s house.” The Lord answered him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as [if they were only] one man.” (AMP)

There was a sign that read Antique Auto Show, so Rob and his wife decided that they’d take fifteen minutes and stop at this car dealership and look at the antique autos. They were really interested in seeing the ones that went back to the 50s and 60s. And as they continued looking, there was this one car that stood out amongst all the rest. It was a sleek, black ’66 Mustang that had a flawless exterior, a rich interior, and the hood was even open so you could look at the horsepower underneath. However, there, sitting on the engine block, was a thick book of photos. And it wasn’t the guy’s wife, children or grandchildren. But it was his car! And at the beginning of this photo album there were BEFORE pictures of the car. Let me tell you, it was trash when he started! The first pictures were of this rusted, wrecked, banged-up Mustang that no one in their right mind would claim as their property! Come to find out, it was the car he bought. And as you looked through the book, step by step you could see the car was slowly being Transformed. It took months, maybe years for the owner to give patient attention to get this beautiful classic to where it stood now before them. I believe that when the owner saw that wreck, he saw more than a wreck. He actually saw something that others didn’t see. What he saw was Potential.

Well, that leads us straight to Judges 6. God is looking for a general for His troops, someone who will be a mighty commander and beat the Midianites who have intimidated and terrorized the Israelites for years. And He speaks to Gideon in verses 11-12, “The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, MIGHTY WARRIOR.” (NIV).

And what was Gideon’s response? Verse 13 reads, “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” (NIV).

However, verses 14-16 declare, “The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” But Gideon said to Him, “Please Lord, how am I to rescue Israel? Behold, my family is the LEAST [SIGNIFICANT] in Manasseh, and I am the YOUNGEST (SMALLEST) in my father’s house.” The Lord answered him, “I will certainly be with you, and YOU will strike down the Midianites as [if they were only] ONE MAN.”” (AMP).

Okay, here is Gideon. He’s hiding in a pit. He doesn’t look like a mighty warrior…at all. And God comes along and says, “Mighty warrior!” Surely, you’re thinking just like I’m thinking, this is no mighty warrior! But God didn’t see what Gideon WAS. He saw what he COULD BE, what he WOULD BE and what He intended to MAKE HIM. And that’s the very same place where many of us mess up and get stuck at! We get so consumed by where we ARE, and where we’re NOT; who we ARE, and who we’re NOT; what we CAN and what we CAN’T do…that we never consider a vision from God’s point of view. I find it absolutely amazing that BEFORE Gideon does anything, God calls him a “Mighty Warrior”, IN ADVANCE! Unlike us, God doesn’t get stuck in what we ARE, but His focus remains on what we CAN BE! And so God speaks contrary to Gideon. Gideon sees someone insignificant, unimportant, irrelevant, small even, yet God sees him as a “Mighty Warrior”! Question: How do you see yourself? How do you speak to and about yourself? What do you see for yourself? Do you consider yourself “mighty”? Gifted? Smart? Beautiful? Well, in case you don’t, I’ve stopped by to inform you that you need to check your eyesight! Situations and circumstances should never distort how you see yourself, because they certainly do not distort how God sees you! No matter what your marital status is, how many children you have, you don’t have or that you’ve aborted or miscarried. No matter your education, employment, ethnicity, or back ground. No matter what your father was, what your mother did, you are still a “mighty warrior” in the eyes of God…NOW it’s time that you see yourself the very same way. Stop spending so much time focusing on what you’ve done or left undone that you become stagnate between the two. There’s so much more to you then yesterday. Today is a new day and with it needs to come a new outlook on your life, despite your mistakes, flaws, failures, bad decisions, errors in judgment and the like.

Just look at Peter.

Same thing happened with Peter. Matthew 16:13-19, “When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. AND NOW I’M GOING TO TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE, REALLY ARE. YOU ARE PETER, A ROCK. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.“ And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven…” (MSG)

I imagine when people heard this they said, “Did He just say Peter? He’s not a rock!” Truth is, when he came to Jesus he was sort of a flake. He was always up and down and inconsistent. But Jesus saw the rock He was going to make him into. And that’s the problem with us, we remember (and certainly everybody else remembers) how bad we’ve messed up, what we did, when we did it, who we did it with, how often we did it, where and why, and YET, Jesus looks beyond our hard heads and still sees a Rock! How awesome to know that regardless of how messy we’ve been, God still sees a masterpiece in us! In fact, He looks at us the way that Mustang owner saw that banged-up car. He sees the value in us more than we do. He knows the person He created us to be. And in God’s words, “For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP [HIS OWN MASTER WORK, A WORK OF ART], CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS [REBORN FROM ABOVE-SPIRITUALLY TRANSFORMED, RENEWED, READY TO BE USED] FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED [FOR US] BEFOREHAND [TAKING PATHS WHICH HE SET], SO THAT WE WOULD WALK IN THEM [LIVING THE GOOD LIFE WHICH HE PREARRANGED AND MADE READY FOR US].” (Ephesians 2:8-10 AMP) Even as messed up and banged up as we were, God still saw in us “…HIS WORKMANSHIP, HIS OWN MASTER WORK, A WORK OF ART…”

How can you possibly view yourself as junk, when God Himself sees you as “…A WORK OF ART…”? YES EVEN YOU!

Like the Mustang owner, God’s photo album shows where you were and His step-by-step rebuilding.

See, if you believe how God sees you, then there are some important changes in how life should look to you. First, when you’re down about who you are, look back at the old pictures. Look at what you used to be. You’re becoming something aren’t you? Remember what you used to do, how you used to act, where you used to be, and see where you are now. No, you haven’t made it all the way yet, but neither has any of us! So learn to celebrate where you are, and where you’re heading, knowing that God sees the Best in you always!

Psalm 103:6-18, “God makes everything come out right; He puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about His work, opened up His plans to all Israel. God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, He’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is His love to those who fear Him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, He has separated us from our sins…” (MSG) So, stop holding your past and mistakes over your own head, when they’re under God’s feet! He remembers them no more, now it’s time that you do the very same thing!

Today is a good day to move forward! A good day to start over fresh without yesterday’s baggage! Your problems don’t hinder your potential. It’s still there. God sees it, and so should you!

Second, when you’re down on yourself, realize you’re not finished yet! The rebuilder is in the process! Look at it like this, have you ever taken the time to look at a construction site? It’s an absolute mess! There’s dust, dirt, debris, everywhere! Nothing is together, nor does anything look anywhere near what the blueprint suggests it should! There are people in hard hats, dirty clothes, they’re sweating, tired, yelling, there’s signs of danger up everywhere because the site isn’t finished yet! And even at the end of the day when they go home, they don’t forget about the site! They come back the next day and work some more. Why? Because what’s on blueprint has to become a building! And God is no different with you! You may not look like much in the eyes of some, or even in your own view. But God is still at work! Daily He’s making you better! Daily He’s adding, subtracting and dividing just so you can be multiplied in the end. Daily what you are to become is seen more and more by many! So stop fretting yourself and judging yourself by what you see today! God isn’t finished yet, but He’s promised He will! The Bible says in Philippians 1:6, “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].” (AMP). You have God’s Word that He will finish what He’s started in you so don’t you dare consider giving up in the middle of the process again! Can you imagine if after day one on a construction site that the construction workers said, ‘that’s it, I quit! I refuse to work on this project any longer. We’ve been working at this thing all day and into the evening and still it looks nothing like the blueprint!” Listen: Any building that goes up in one day, is guaranteed to come down in one day!  There’s a reason construction is such a slow process. The foundation is the most vital to be established and you can’t rush foundation! The wiring is essential, the plumbing is important, walls, floors and ceilings need great attention to detail. And why is all of this significant? Because if it’s not done right, somebodies going to be severely hurt! And that’s what happens when people attempt to rush God’s process of rebuilding for their lives. They want to run out and preach, teach, prophecy, travel the country, lay hands and overseer mega ministries. And yet, they want to do all of that without being properly processed! The end result, they hurt themselves and everyone attached to them because they rushed a process that needed proper timing to be fully established!

1 Peter 5:10, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself COMPLETE, CONFIRM, STRENGTHEN, AND ESTABLISH YOU [MAKING YOU WHAT YOU OUGHT TO BE].” (AMP)

Listen, I get it, it’s been some years now and you’re still wondering God what is going on?! Please believe me, your God does not have Dementia! Your God does not have Alzheimer’s! He remembers every word He spoke to you and about you and every single word will come to pass, in season! Let God finish the work He started without your doubt delaying it’s development!

And third, when you’re dealing with other people, look for and encourage the person God is building in them. Be part of His rebuilding project in their life. Tell people what they could be. Tell them the good you see in them – the potential. You see, the word “potential” is defined as “having the capacity to develop into something in the future; qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness.” And to take it a step further, its Latin Origin “potentialis,” from “potentia” literally means “power”. People of God, no matter how bad off a person may be, they still have potential, they still have the power to become better! So don’t judge them, don’t put your negative mouth on them, don’t keep bringing up their past! Like You, they still have the power to become more! I’m here to tell you from personal experience, there’s nothing worse than an individual holding another person hostage by their past. Let them grow, evolve, and change for the better…in their time, in God’s time, not yours! So back off a bit! Give them space and room, just like you needed!

You see, when you take dirt and throw it on a fire it’s called “smothering”. In throwing dirt on a fire you smother it, you extinguish it, which means you stifle or suffocate it, you cut off the air and prevent it from breathing, which prevents it from growing. That’s what you do to people when you keep harping on them for their mistakes. You smother them! You suck the life right out of them. You hinder them from glowing and growing. Stop It! Even embers that have dimmed down, are still hot to the touch! They just need a little stoking. And so do people! To “stoke” is to “encourage, incite, or add to”. And that’s all most people need to find their potential again. They just need someone that will see past their Gideon and see a “mighty warrior”; they need someone who will see past their Peter and see a “rock”. And often stoking doesn’t take much. You would be absolutely amazed at the fire that could return from just a few empowering pokes of encouragement. “I believe in you; I’m proud of you; you’re doing great; keep pressing; don’t give up; you can do this; you’re getting better; look how strong you’ve become; look how much wisdom that taught you…” Try it on someone today and you’ll be just like Peter: “but I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT YOUR BROTHERS [IN THE FAITH].” (Luke 22:32 AMP). That’s what we should all do daily, as God betters us, we should help others get better too!

Think about it like this: Can you imagine the mental stress it would put on players if they were in their own home-court advantage, yet their own fans boo them the whole game?! Even when they’re winning, all they hear is a constant stream of boo’s! Would you be encouraged by that? Then why do it to others? Realize that people are trying their best, and many after several losing games, are still coming back again and again, giving it everything they’ve got. Don’t smother their future success with the ashes of their past failures! Encourage your brothers and sisters so that their faith and hope stay intact in the process! Let them know that you’ve got them covered! That you have their back! That you’re on their team! That you believe in them! Isn’t that what you would want to Receive? Then Give it! You can’t expect to throw dirt on someone else’s potential and think that God is going to allow you to grow from it!

Like the Classic Mustang in the above story, we ALL have a beginning that we’re not so proud of. We all of chapters in our book of life that we don’t read aloud or share with anyone else. We all have flaws, mistakes, and failures. We’ve all made bad decisions and judgements. We’ve all fallen far short of God’s grace, characteristics, standards and mark. And yet in His eyes, we’re still a masterpiece! It takes time to take mess and make it a masterpiece, but God is willing to put the time in. So, no more complaining about yourself (or others). Let God complete the work He began. Enjoy the step-by-step process. And when you get a moment, just reflect back over your life, and see just how far God has already brought you. You may be more inclined to ease up on yourself and others. Your potential is still intact, just wait and watch God produce something powerful with it!

“God’s plan is always the best. Sometimes the process is painful and hard. But don’t forget that when God is silent, He’s doing something for you.” (Author Unknown)

“Trust the process. Once you have prayed, let it go. Have faith that God heard you the first time, and is working on your prayer right now.” (Author Unknown)

“God’s purpose and process are tied together.” (Author Unknown)

“God knows your value; He sees your potential. You may not understand everything you are going through right now. But hold your head up high, knowing that God is in control and He has a great plan and purpose for your life.” (Joel Osteen)

“Don’t squander your potential living a life that amounts to far less than the one you are capable of living.” (Zero Dean)

“Potential is a priceless treasure, like gold. All of us have gold hidden within, but we have to dig to get it out.” (Joyce Meyer)

“The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit.” (Jim Rohn)

“There is no man living who isn’t capable to doing more than he thinks he can do.” (Henry Ford)

“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” (President Abraham Lincoln)

“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.” (John Maxwell)

“There is no heavier burden than an unfulfilled potential.” (Charles Schulz)

“Look past the exterior, and see that there is so much more within. Then decide to unleash that potential to the fullest.” (Lincoln Patz)

“Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.” (Author Unknown)

“Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential.” (Winston Churchill)

“People who repeatedly attack your confidence and self-esteem are quite aware of your potential even if you are not.” (Author Unknown)

“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” (Wilma Rudolph)

“Each person has the potential of making a positive impact on the world. It all depends on what you do with what you have.” (Gary Chapman)

“Most of your potential is trapped behind other people’s opinions. Some of those people love you, they just don’t understand you. The other group don’t want to see you win and they’re hoping their opinions will hold you back. Neither group’s opinion matters more than your own.” (Author Unknown)

“Your potential is endless. Go do what you were created to do.” (Author Unknown)

“Questions provide the key to unlocking our unlimited potential.” (Anthony Robbins)

“To unlock your potential in anything you do is going to require practice, consistency and patience.” (Simeon Panda)

“We are all strangers to our hidden potential until we confront problems that reveal our capabilities.” (Apoorve Dubey)

“You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You were born with wings. You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. You have wings. Learn to use them and fly.” (Rumi)

“A strong woman knows that she has the potential to shine in this world, but true strength lies in her ability to lay down her life so that God can shine through her.” (Darlene Schacht)

“Potential means nothing if you don’t do anything with it.” (Author Unknown)

“Your potential will haunt you until you take steps towards realizing it.” (Author Unknown)

“Action breeds potential; potential changes the world.” (Jordan Ring)

“True success is reaching our potential without compromising our values.” (Muhammad Ali)

“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of becoming.” (Goethe)

“There lies within each person a huge reservoir of untapped potential for achievement, success, and happiness.” (Jim Rohn)

“Focus on the possibilities for success, not on the potential for failure.” (Napolean Hill)

“It takes drive and focus to move from potential to reality.” (Author Unknown)

“People don’t get promoted for doing their jobs really well. They get promoted by demonstrating their potential to do more.” (Tara Jaye Frank)

“Maybe this year…we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives not looking for flaws, but for potential.” (Ellen Goodman)

“Difficulties in your life don’t come to destroy you, but to help you realize your hidden potential.” (Author Unknown)

“Discipline is the key to unlocking your true potential.” (Author Unknown)

“It’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.” (President Barack Obama)

“You have the potential for greatness.” (Steve Harvey)

“Greatness is more than potential. It is the execution of that potential. Beyond the raw talent. You need the appropriate training. You need the discipline. You need the inspiration. You need the drive.” (Eric A. Burns)

“God never loses sight of our eternal potential, even when we do.” (Carole M. Stephens)

“Once I got a glimpse of my potential, the desire to be great was born.” (Andre Ferguson)

“Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.” (Bill Bradley)

“It’s not enough to just have potential. You also need to know what to do with it.” (Susan Gale)

“Everyday has the potential to be the greatest day of your life.” (Lin-Manuel Miranda)

“To reach your greatest potential you’ll have to fight your greatest fears.” (Author Unknown)

“If you really want to live your life to the fullest and realize your greatest potential, you must be willing to run the risk of making some people mad. People may not like what you do, people may not like how you do it, but these people are not living your life. You are.” (Iyanla Vanzant)

“No one lacks potential. You can lack will or skill, but everyone has potential.” (Author Unknown)

“Fear and self-doubt have always been the greatest enemies of human potential.” (Brian Tracy)

“You’re so busy doubting yourself while so many others are intimidated by your potential.” (Author Unknown)

“Our Heavenly Father knows our divine potential. He rejoices every time we take a step forward.” (Larry R. Lawrence)

“Acknowledging you have areas to work is not an admission of failure; it is an admission that you have more potential.” (Carrie Cheadle)

“Mediocrity is living below our known, true potential.” (Dr. Myles Munroe)

“Your potential is the sum of all the possibilities God has for your life.” (Charles Stanley)

“Your God-Given potential is far too great to ever dare to bargain for anything less than a victorious life. Therefore, it’s time to rise to the challenge and push beyond your fears and doubts.” (Edmond Mbiaka)

“Every day, I wake up with one goal; to make sure our children and generations yet unborn will reach their God-Given potential and that the future we are creating is a brighter one for every child.” (Representative Elijah Cummings)

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

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“YOU WILL WALK OUT OF WHAT YOU WERE CARRIED INTO”

John 11:1, “Now a certain man was SICK, Lazarus of Bethany…” (NKJV)

John 11:17, “So when Jesus arrived, He found that he [Lazarus] HAD ALREADY BEEN IN THE TOMB FOUR DAYS.” (AMPC)

John 11:43-44, “When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, LAZARUS, COME OUT! AND OUT WALKED THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN DEAD, his hands and feet wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] napkin bound around his face. Jesus said to them, Free him of the burial wrappings and let him go.” (AMPC)

John 12:1-2, “So six days before the Passover Feast, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died and whom He had raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper; and Martha served, BUT LAZARUS WAS ONE OF THOSE AT THE TABLE WITH HIM.” (AMPC)

Lazarus goes from being sick; to being dead; to being carried into a tomb where he would lay for four days; to Jesus calling his name; to Lazarus walking out as a live man; and then being seated at the Passover Feast Supper table with Jesus!

From the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, we learn certain lessons:

The First Lesson is About REASON: You cannot have radical faith until you’ve exhausted all REASONABLE SOLUTIONS. You see, Mary and Martha didn’t send for Jesus UNTIL THEY’D DONE EVERYTHING THEY COULD DO FOR LAZARUS. THEREFORE, THINK AND BE REASONABLE; IF YOU CAN DO IT FOR YOURSELF, GOD WON’T DO IT FOR YOU! For example, unless you are willing to change your diet and start eating right, how can you go to God with confidence for healing? Because even if He heals you, your habits will take you right back to an unhealthy place. Unless you are willing to put the needs of your spouse above your own, what’s the point in praying for a happy marriage? James writes: “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18 NKJV). Before you go crying out to God to supply a miracle, BE SURE THAT YOU’VE TAKEN THE NECESSARY TIME TO DO ALL YOU CAN DO FIRST! THERE’S NO NEED OF A MIRACLE FOR WHAT YOU CAN MANAGE ON YOUR OWN! For example, before filing for bankruptcy, make sure you’ve exhausted all your options first! In other words, see if you can make payment arrangements FIRST! If you can set up a payment plan to pay off a debt in five years, does it make sense to file for bankruptcy, when it will stay on your credit report for ten?! People of God remember they sent for Jesus WHEN THERE WERE NO MORE OPTIONS LEFT! John 11:3, “So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” Unlike our modern times, they didn’t have round-the-clock hospitals and doctor offices and urgent care set up back then. And even though there were doctors, because of their feet or a horse or camel, they had no better method of transportation to check on a sick individual. Therefore, it was the family’s responsibility to do all they could in the absence of professional medical care. The sisters would then take care of their sick brother Lazarus as much as they could, but then they would need a physician, thank God they called on the Great Physician! However, they did what they could, within REASON, for their brother BEFORE they even called on Jesus! Make sure you’re not asking God to lay His hands on something that you can fix for yourself! You see, the word ‘reason’ is defined as, ‘the power of the mind to think, understand and form judgements logically; that which is practical or possible; to find a solution to a problem by considering possible options.’ Its French origin (‘reisun), from Latin (‘reri’) literally means ‘to consider.’ Before you flip out and panic begging God to show up in the next 3 seconds, make sure you’ve considered your options. Maybe the real truth is, the mortgage miracle you’re asking for is for a house you knew you couldn’t afford before you moved in it. Maybe the financial blessing you need by midnight isn’t as important as you cutting up some credit cards; stop shopping with money that should’ve been set aside to pay off your bills. Maybe it’s not the car note that’s the burden, but you driving something beyond your reasonable means, trying to impress people who are more likely in greater debt than you! Maybe you’d get a job if you got up in the morning, got dressed and went to hitting the pavement with your resume, opposed to you sitting on the sofa watching reality tv, while waiting for a job to UPS your dream job to your doorstep! Are you getting this? Consider your options and work within your abilities and reason. Then, when you know it’s beyond your hands to handle, place it in God’s!

“I have found in life that if you want a miracle you first need to do whatever it is You Can Do—if that’s plant, then plant; if it is to read, then read; if it is to change, then change; if it is to study, then study; if it is to work, then work; whatever You Have To, Do. And Then you will be well on your way of doing the labor that works miracles.” (Jim Rohn). In other words, I reiterate, sitting on the sofa watching soaps, yet believing God to send you a Miracle Job, is IDIOCY! And Idiocy is defined as “EXTREMELY STUPID BEHAVIOR!” Believing God for a Miracle is one thing, acting like a MORON is altogether something entirely different! Do what’s REASONABLE, and He’ll do the Rest!

The Second Lesson is About RELATIONSHIP: Some folks only turn to God when they have a crisis. Prayer is a foreign concept to them UNTIL they have a car wreck, or their marriage falls apart, or they lose their job. Then, incredibly, they say, “God, why did You let this happen to Me?” HOWEVER, IT’S HARD TO GO TO SOMEONE WHEN YOU’RE IN TROUBLE, IF YOU’VE SPENT NO TIME BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM! Jesus often spent time at the home of Mary and Martha eating at their table. They were givers, not takers: The Bible says, “It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick” (John 11:2 NKJV). When you love the Lord to that extent, you can go to Him in faith knowing your needs will be met. HOWEVER, PLEASE BEAR IN MIND, THE LORD IS NOT YOUR PERSONAL GENIE THAT YOU RUB THE RIGHT WAY WITH WORDS OF PRAISE, WORSHIP AND ADORATION WHEN YOU NEED HIM TO GRANT YOU THREE WISHES! (Lord please keep the 1) Foreclosure, 2) Repossession and 3) Death Demons Away…Hallelujah, I Love You…THAT’S NOTHING MORE THAN PURE MESS)! HE CARES NOTHING ABOUT YOUR RELIGIOSITY, HE WANTS A RELATIONSHIP! AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND RELATIONSHIP! Look at it this way: RELIGION is like INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC (you don’t necessarily have to be saved to sing it, nor do you necessarily have to even mention the name Jesus!); But RELATIONSHIP is like GOSPEL MUSIC (it has to speak of the Life, the Death, the Burial, the Resurrection and the Coming Again of the Lord Jesus Christ…IF IT IS IN FACT “GOSPEL” MUSIC!!) FURTHERMORE, RELIGION is MAN-MADE; the GOSPEL is GOD-GIVEN! RELIGION is What Man DOES FOR GOD; the GOSPEL is What GOD DID FOR MAN! RELIGION is MAN’S SEARCH FOR GOD; the GOSPEL is GOD’S SEARCH FOR MAN! RELIGION is MAN’S TRYING TO CLIMB UP THE LADDER OF HIS OWN SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, WITH THE HOPE OF MEETING GOD ON THE TOPMOST RUNG; The GOSPEL is GOD COMING DOWN THE LADDER IN THE INCARNATION OF JESUS CHRIST AND MEETING US SINNERS AT THE LOWEST RUNG! GOD DOESN’T WANT THE INSPIRATION OF RELIGION, BUT THE IMPARTATION AND INTIMACY OF RELATIONSHIP! ‘Impartation’ means ‘to communicate, to grant a share of, to make known or disclose information, to give and bestow something, to contribute, add to, carry or express’! GOD IS LOOKING TO DO ALL THIS WITH YOU! HE WANTS TO TALK WITH YOU, DISCLOSE INFORMATION TO YOU, BESTOW AND GIVE GREAT THINGS TO YOU, AND TO LIKEWISE RECEIVE THEM FROM YOU! HE DESIRES A RELATIONSHIP! AND AFTER ALL HE’S ALREADY GIVEN YOU, SURELY GIVING THIS TO HIM IS NOT ASKING TOO MUCH OF YOU!

“To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; To seek Him, the greatest adventure; To find Him, the greatest human achievement” (Augustine)

The Third Lesson is About RELINQUISHMENT: As long as you believe you can handle the problem on your own, you will not reach for the miracle-working power of God. You have to be in a situation so bad that you pray the prayer of Relinquishment: “Lord, I’ve done all I know and things aren’t getting any better. So I’m through trying to fix it. I turn it completely over to You. I don’t know how You’re going to handle it, but I know you love me and want only what’s best for me. So here it is, Lord; it’s all Yours” THIS IS NOT A PRAYER OF DEFEAT, IT IS ONE OF TOTAL TRUST. David wrote: “Though I am surrounded by troubles, You Will Protect Me…You Reach Out Your Hand, and the Power of Your Right Hand Saves Me. The LORD Will Work Out His Plans For My Life – For Your Faithful Love, O LORD, Endures Forever…You Made Me” (Psalm 138:7-8 NLT). THAT’S HOW YOU RELINQUISH! The word ‘relinquish’ is defined as, ‘to willingly cease to keep or claim; to give up.’ Its Latin origin ‘relinquere’, from ‘linquere’ literally means ‘to leave.’ And that’s what you need to learn to do today, give it to God and leave it there! One of the greatest blogs I’ve read regarding Relinquishment is called “Relinquish Control to Abba Father God” by Hazel Straub, and it reads as such: “Trust me with all your problems and do not lean on your own understanding. I am the solution for all of your difficulties and problems. Hand them over to me and watch me as your Problem Solver. Worship and keep your focus on me, not the difficulty. Rest from your struggles. Direct your eyes to me. Is anything too hard for me? Deliver your problems to me. Give me control and relinquish your grip. I am more than able to handle your difficulties and cares. Has it worked for you to leave me out of your solution, as you struggled? Hand them over to me and let them go. I am God, who loves you and bears your burdens. I am your help and strength. Let my love and joy invade you. Abba Father, there is no one greater than you and I give you all my worship. I relinquish control to you. I turn from trying to solve and handle my problems, on my own and release them to you. Thank you for bearing my burdens. I will be still and know that you are God. I trust you.” THAT’S HOW YOU RELINQUISH!

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God!…” (MSG)

The pastor of a great church tells of running out of money when they were only halfway through the construction of their new sanctuary. The congregation was growing and there was no doubt that they needed the extra space. But the bank wouldn’t give them any more funds. So the pastor prayed and said, “Lord, personally speaking, I don’t need this big building. I already have a place for all my children. You need a place for Yours. I don’t know how You’re going to take care of this, but those are Your kids, Lord, so I’m turning it over to You. I’m relinquishing this responsibility into your capable hands.” GOD ANSWERED, THE MONEY CAME THROUGH, AND WITHIN A FEW YEARS THEY WERE WORSHIPING IN A BEAUTIFUL SANCTUARY, DEBT FREE! SO, NO MATTER HOW IMPOSSIBLE IT LOOKS, LOOK TO THE WORD THAT TELLS YOU WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! SIMPLY GIVE YOUR PROBLEM TO HIM AND DON’T ATTEMPT TO TAKE IT BACK! Philippians 1:6, “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return]” (AMP) RELINQUISH IT ALL TO GOD, HE CAN HANDLE WHAT YOU CAN’T GET A HANDLE ON!

The Fourth Lesson is About RADICAL FAITH: When somebody is dead and buried, that’s as “final” as it gets! To believe God in the face of such a situation requires Radical Faith! Until this moment Martha had “IF ONLY” faith.  “Lord, IF ONLY You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21 NKJV). But then she began to realize what Jesus could do, and moved to “EVEN NOW” faith. She said to Jesus, “But EVEN NOW I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You” (vs. 22 NKJV). Radical Faith says, “Lord I believe that my future can be greater than my past, that You can turn the situation around and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, that nothing is too hard for You.” Radical Faith in the face of Radical Circumstances brings Radical Results! That means, no matter what the doctor says, your only Radical Response of Faith is, “…And By His Stripes (Wounds) We Are Healed.” (Isaiah 53:5 AMP); “…For By His Wounds You [Who Believe] Have Been Healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 AMP). That means, when the job lays you off; when the mortgage, car note, and tuition are all behind, and the lights and gas are about to be cut off. When there’s no food in the fridge, when you don’t have enough money to even get on the bus, your only Radical Response of Faith is, “And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 AMP). When God gives you a dream and vision so big it scares you into believing the people around you that are saying the bank won’t give you a loan for that; you can’t get that grant; no one will underwrite that; you’re asking too much; that’s too big; that’s ridiculous; that’s outrageous; that’s impossible. Your only Radical Response of Faith is, “I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose – I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.” (Philippians 4:13 AMP); “…With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 AMP); “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27 AMP) When people say, but you’ve had that habit and addiction forever; you’ve messed up every day of your life; you cheated; lied; failed; missed the mark; fallen short; walked in deliberate and willful disobedience and sin; there’s just no way God will ever redeem you! Your only Radical Response of Faith is, “Some of you were sick because you’d lived a bad life, your bodies feeling the effects of your sin; You couldn’t stand the sight of food, so miserable you thought you’d be better off dead. Then you called out to God in your desperate condition; He got you out in the nick of time. He spoke the word that healed you, that pulled you back from the brink of death. So thank God for His marvelous love, for His miracle mercy to the children He loves; Offer thanksgiving sacrifices, tell the world what He’s done—sing it out!” (Psalm 107:17-22 MSG) Are you getting this people?! All you have to do is exercise your Radical Faith and watch God handle your Radical Results!

Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” (AMP); Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.” (AMP)

The Fifth Lesson is About RESTORATION: “Therefore the sisters sent to [Jesus], saying, ‘Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick’…Then…He said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea’” (vss. 3, 7 NKJV) You’ll never know what the Lord can do until you invite Him into your situation. He can give you back what you have loved and lost! He can restore what life has taken from you – and then some! It’s not too late! Send for Jesus! No matter how bad your situation may be, pray, “Lord, EVEN NOW I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You”

“Deeply moved again, Jesus went to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone covering the entrance. Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, told Jesus, “Lord, there must already be a stench. He’s been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see God’s glory?” So the stone was moved away from the entrance of the tomb. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I’ve known that you always hear me. However, I’ve said this so that the crowd standing around me will believe that you sent me.” After Jesus had said this, he shouted as loudly as he could, “Lazarus, Come Out!” The dead man came out. Strips of cloth were wound around his feet and hands, and his face was wrapped with a handkerchief. Jesus told them, “Free Lazarus, And Let Him Go” (John 11:38-45 GWT).

For most people that’s their happy part in the story. However, mines is found in John 12:1-2, “So six days before the Passover Feast, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died and whom He had raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper; and Martha served, BUT LAZARUS WAS ONE OF THOSE AT THE TABLE WITH HIM.” (AMPC)

He was sick; died; carried into the tomb; called by name by Jesus; walked out of what he was carried into and then finds himself alive and well, and seated at the table with Jesus being served supper! Now, I know you’ve been through a rough patch, and that rough patch may have been months, years or even decades, and still I speak by faith over your life that you will walk out of what you were carried into! Yes, that situation was hurtful; that sickness was painful; their rejection is sorrowful; and still you will end up better than you began!

John 11 is a hard season to be in because it’s surrounded by hurt, pain, loss, death, waiting, fear, and the like, but your John chapter 12 is just around the corner! Not only will you be revived and restored and fully recovered, but the same people who saw you be carried in will be the same people to watch you walk out! And NO you will not come out smelling like roses! After all, there was no way for Lazarus to be bound head to toe in graves clothes and lie in a grave for four days and come out without any stench at all! And neither will you! Your coming out won’t look or smell good, but you’re coming out anyway!

Before you know it you will go from the Tomb to the Table…so don’t throw in the Towel just yet!

Do your part, and watch God do His!

People of God, Do What Is Reasonable; Improve Your Relationship With the Lord; Relinquish the Impossible to God; Have Radical Faith that God Can and Will Do It; then Rejoice, for He Will “…Restore To You The Years That the Locust Hath Eaten…” (Joel 2:25)

LEARN FROM LAZARUS AND LIKEWISE, YOU’LL WALK OUT OF WHAT YOU WERE CARRIED INTO!

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

Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “GETTING FIT WHILE YOU’RE OVERWEIGHT”

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“GO THROUGH UNTIL IT’S GRANTED!”

“Later on Eve gave birth to another son and named him SETH (meaning “GRANTED”); for, as Eve put it, “God has GRANTED me another son for the one Cain killed.” (Genesis 4:25 TLB)

In one sweep of jealousy Eve’s dreams lay bleeding on the ground; her older son a criminal on the run, her younger son murdered in the prime of his life. And yet she’s supposed to be the mother of all living! In fact, this is what the Scripture says: “The man named his wife Eve (meaning “The Life-Giving One”), for he said, “She shall become the mother of all mankind.” (Genesis 3:20 TLB). Well, how do you maintain a title like that, when you’re now the mother of a corpse and a killer? Her own husband spoke “Life” in naming her, and yet the one he called “Life” would have birthed from her own womb, one that would be killed and one that would be his killer! How bad it must have felt to be called “Life”, and yet deal with “Death”?

Have you ever been there, when you’re CALLING and your CIRCUMSTANCES are opposites that DON’T attract?

Can you identify just a little bit with Eve? Or should I say it like this, have you ever found yourself asking, “Lord, this is NOT what YOU promised me!”; “Lord, this is NOT the way this was supposed to go!”; “Lord, I saw this work out a little different in my mind than what has manifested in my life!”; “Lord, after all this time, shouldn’t this and they be better?”; “Lord, I give my tithes, but the windows of heaven must be open on the wrong side of the house!”; “Lord, am I really supposed to STILL live here, STILL drive that, STILL walk there, STILL face this, STILL deal with them?” In Essence: Lord, This Is NOT How This Was Supposed to Go!

YOU Said You Have a Plan, a Purpose, and a Promise Just For Me, and Yet All I’ve Seen Thus Far are Problems, Pain and Persecution! Lord, What Happened?!

Well, if that’s where you are today, here’s my advice to you and it’s free: GO THROUGH UNTIL YOU GET THROUGH! Or in the words of our title: GO THROUGH UNTIL IT’S GRANTED!

Now, many of you will say, “Thanks for the encouragement, but I’m still stuck in the middle of the tunnel, and I hear a train coming but don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel! You say Go Through, but I’m still stuck and can’t Get Through, so, now what?” I reiterate, GO THROUGH UNTIL YOU GET THROUGH…GO THROUGH UNTIL IT’S GRANTED! How is that possible? Simple, just remember this: Matthew 5:18, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (KJV). However, there’s another translation of this Scripture that I love and it reads like this: “I can GUARANTEE this truth: Until the earth and the heavens disappear, neither a PERIOD OR A COMMA will disappear from the Scriptures before EVERYTHING HAS COME TRUE.” (GWT). Do you know how determined God has to be to “Guarantee” that not even a “Period or a Comma” will come up missing “Before Every Word He’s Declared Comes True”?! In other words, be encouraged, because regardless to how bleak the situation looks, whatever God has declared concerning you in His Word HAS to come to pass! Listen: The word “Guarantee” means “a formal assurance that certain conditions will be fulfilled; something that makes an outcome certain; a promise of certainty”. Its Spanish Origin comes from “Garante” and is related to the word “Warrant”. “Warrant” means: “a document entitling the holder to receive goods, money, or services.” Its Origin comes from the words “Protector and Safeguard” and thereby means “To Protect From Danger.”

Hear me clearly: You will go through and get through because God has granted you a guarantee that everything He said WILL come true! And His guarantee comes with an assurance that every condition will be favorable in the end. Your outcome of victory is sealed and certain. Your promise of goods, money, and services are safe-guarded and protected. And as long as you have this promise from God you will forever be protected from dangers that attempt to sift your life!

Remember This: Satan can touch your POSSESSIONS, but he can’t take your PROMISE! Listen to Job 1:12 in a few translations:

“Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your power, ONLY DO NOT PUT YOUR HAND ON THE MAN HIMSELF.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.” (AMP)

“And the Lord said to Satan (the adversary and the accuser), Behold, all that he has is in your power, ONLY UPON THE MAN HIMSELF PUT NOT FORTH YOUR HAND. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.” (AMPC)

“The Lord said to the Adversary, “Look, all he has is within your power; ONLY DON’T STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND AGAINST HIM.” So the Adversary left the Lord’s presence.” (CEB)

“The Lord replied, “All right, Satan, do what you want with anything that belongs to him, BUT DON’T HARM JOB.” Then Satan left.” (CEV)

“The Lord said to Satan, “All right, do whatever you want with anything that he has, BUT DON’T HURT JOB HIMSELF.” Then Satan left the meeting.” (ERV)

“And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. ONLY AGAINST HIM DO NOT STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” (ESV)

“The Lord told Satan, “Everything he has is in your power, BUT YOU MUST NOT LAY A HAND ON HIM! Then Satan left the Lord’s presence.” (GWT)

“All right,” the Lord said to Satan, “everything he has is in your power, BUT YOU MUST NOT HURT JOB HIMSELF.” So Satan left.” (GNT)

“And the Lord replied to Satan, “You may do anything you like with his wealth, BUT DON’T HARM HIM PHYSICALLY.” So Satan went away; and sure enough, not long afterwards when Job’s sons and daughters were dining at the oldest brother’s house, tragedy struck.” (TLB)

“God replied, “We’ll see. Go ahead—do what you want with all that is his. JUST DON’T HURT HIM.” Then Satan left the presence of God.” (MSG)

“The Lord said to Satan, “All right, then. Everything Job has is in your power, BUT YOU MUST NOT TOUCH JOB HIMSELF.” Then Satan left the Lord’s presence.” (NCV)

“The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, BUT ON THE MAN HIMSELF DO NOT LAY A FINGER.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” (NIV)

“Then the Lord said to Satan, “See, all that he has is in your power. ONLY DO NOT PUT YOUR HAND ON HIM.” So Satan went out from the Lord.” (NLV)

“All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, BUT DON’T HARM HIM PHYSICALLY.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.” (NLT)

I REITERATE: Satan can touch your POSSESSIONS, but he can’t take your PROMISE!

You will maintain the testimony that “…MY LIFE IS SAFE, AND I WILL LIVE TO TELL WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE.” (Psalm 118:17 CEV) Or in the words of the Good News Translation, “I WILL NOT DIE; INSTEAD, I WILL LIVE AND PROCLAIM WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE.” (GNT). I love that word “Instead”, it means “In Place Of”. In other words, devil, no matter what you do or bring my way, IN PLACE OF DYING, I will Survive and LIVE to tell the story! Will this always be easy? Of course not, if it was, none of us would need any encouragement at all! But is it doable, is it possible? YES! Just Let His Guaranteed Promises Keep You Anchored in His Word Which Cannot Even Allow a Period or Comma to Move Out of Place Before ALL He Has Said (Promised) Comes True!

Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie. He is not a son of man, that He should be sorry for what He has said. Has He said, and will He not do it? Has He spoken, and will He not keep His Word?” (NLV)

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” (AMP)

Jeremiah 1:12, “The Lord then said, “You are right, for I’m watching over My Word until it is fulfilled.” (CEB)

Are you getting this? No matter how bad things may be, they cannot, and will not stay this way for good! Before you know it you’ll have the testimony that “IT’S MY TURN!” Psalm 30:11, “Then He TURNED my sorrow into joy! He took away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.” (TLB).

I know it’s tough right now, tight right now, stressful right now, frustrating right now, confusing right now. And yet I still assure you that with all that’s against you, you will still say like Joseph, “…Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good…” (Genesis 50:20 MSG). You see, even when things don’t work out as we think they should, God’s plans are never put on pause because of our problems. He’s in fact so awesome as God that He won’t even change the plans of the enemy, but will even make the enemies plans work for your good! How powerful is that?!

Which is why you must always remember: Romans 8:28, “We know that God makes ALL things work together for the GOOD of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His PLAN.” (NLV); Jeremiah 29:11, “…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.” (MSG)

I reiterate, are you getting this? Not even the plans of the enemy, nor your own failed plans can hinder the Guaranteed Plans God has in Place for Your Future! That’s a good place to give God praise!

Look at another example of what God did for His people in the wilderness: “He led them forth by the straight and right way, that they might go to a city where they could establish their homes.” (Psalm 107:7 AMP). Your job is to Go Through, no matter how painful, just Go Through! Why? Because even in the struggles of the wilderness, God can still lead you in a straight and right way and as an added bonus, when you come out, you’re coming out Established! You know what I love about the word “Establish”? Its’ meaning of course! “To Set Up On a Firm and Permanent Basis”! His people Went Through, and When They Came Out, They Were “Set Up On a Firm and Permanent Basis”! Be Encouraged, Your Next Blessing Won’t Be Seasonal, It Will Be Permanent!

I reiterate yet again, GO THROUGH UNTIL YOU GET THROUGH! Because on the other side of your BIG Burden is an even BIGGER Blessing!

Back to our text, you see, when Cain killed Abel God’s plan for Eve was delayed…but not denied, nor destroyed! And in spite of what you are going through right now, everything God has promised you will likewise be fulfilled: The Bible declares: “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.” (Philippians 1:6 AMP). Therefore, don’t let the disturbances, distractions and discouragement deter you, His Promises Are Coming to Full Completion In Your Life! Remember: Your God Can’t Lie, and His Word Can’t Fail!

Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand)” (AMP)  Listen: When doubt and unbelief and even fear try to creep up and steal the joy of your promise, just call on God, He’ll not only answer you, but come to you and show you great and mighty things that are fenced in and hidden in your struggles!

No matter what it looks like, consult God, He will always reveal your hidden blessings! Don’t believe it? Listen to this: “I will give you RICHES HIDDEN IN THE DARKNESS and things of GREAT WORTH that are HIDDEN IN SECRET PLACES. Then you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.” (Isaiah 45:3 NLV). Be Encouraged, You’ve Got Hidden Blessings About to Be Revealed!

Then the Bible further declares: “The LITTLE TROUBLES we suffer now FOR A SHORT TIME are making us ready for the GREAT THINGS God is going to give us FOREVER. We do not look at the things that can be seen. We look at the things that cannot be seen. The things that can be seen will come to an end. But the things that cannot be seen will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLV). All you have to do is endure a little trouble for a short time now, and then wait and watch God do great things for you forever! Now that’s worth holding on and hanging in there for! That’s worth going through until it’s granted!

In fact, God loves us so much that He even promises: “I will answer them BEFORE they even call to Me. While they are still talking to Me about their needs, I WILL GO AHEAD AND ANSWER THEIR PRAYERS!” (Isaiah 65:24 TLB) I declare, the promises of the Lord gets gooder and gooder as the days go by! (I know, bad grammar, but good point!)

Now, we’ve talked a lot about GO THROUGH and GET THROUGH…but what about GRANTED?

Well, God has a way of restoring things you thought would never come to pass again. He moved in Eve’s life and gave her another son named “Seth”, which means “One who takes the place of; compensation and granted”.

Isn’t that just like God, after all this time and frustration, and fear that things may not get any better, He steps in and declares: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is…” (Isaiah 43:18-19 MSG) If you would finally stop crying over what WAS, you’d be able to See and Celebrate what IS!

Eve named “Life”, had to Go Through “Death”, but ended up being “Granted” another blessing, and his name was “Seth”. “In Place Of” all that had been loss, she gained a ‘Grant’, which is defined as ‘Favor’! In the end, Eve could testify that: “My Loss Gained Me More”! Which brings us to an additional fact: Seth’s name also means “Compensation”. And “Compensation” is defined as, “something given to compensate for loss, suffering, or injury; something that compensates for an undesirable state of affairs.” Why Go Through Until You Get Through? Because God is not a Stingy God! He Will Compensate You For Your Loss, Suffering, Injury and Undesirable State of Affairs! Which reminds us of James, the Bible declares: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, NOT LACKING ANYTHING.” (1:2-4 NIV) Sounds Like Compensation to Me!

And then as an added generational blessing, Seth bore his parents a grandson named Enosh. The Scripture declares, “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.” (Genesis 4:25-26 MSG).

Never Judge Prematurely How Your Story Will End! After All, Eve Began Chapter 4 With LIFE…Then Stepped in DEATH…HOWEVER, Before the Closing of the SAME Chapter, She Birthed LIFE AGAIN, Plus the Added Blessing of a Grandson Who Invoked the People to Pray and Worship in the Name of GOD! “…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.” (Genesis 4:25-26 MSG).

In a Nutshell: Don’t Get Discouraged By a Few Verses, God Can Turn Everything Around in Your Favor Before the Closing of the SAME Chapter!

People of God, Be Encouraged: GO THROUGH UNTIL YOU GET THROUGH, FOR WHEN YOU GET THROUGH YOUR GREATEST BLESSING WILL BE GRANTED!

1 Chronicles 4:9-10, “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; but his mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my border [property], and that Your hand would be with me, and You would keep me from evil so that it does not hurt me!” AND GOD GRANTED HIS REQUEST.” (AMP)

PEOPLE OF GOD, GO THROUGH UNTIL IT’S GRANTED, FOR WHAT GOD PROMISED YOU IS GUARANTEED TO COME TO PASS!

1 Peter 5:10, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.” (AMPC)

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

Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “WHAT’S REALLY IN YOUR FAST FOOD?”

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“Answering the Caleb Calling”

Numbers 13:30, “Caleb interrupted, called for silence before Moses and said, “Let’s go up and take the land – NOW. WE CAN DO IT.” (MSG)

Looking over the course of my life I realized that just about everything I’ve done and accomplished, came through RISK. Even my love of teaching came through risk. You see, I was a Minister-in-Training and one of the responsibilities was to teach. The problem? I wasn’t raised in church and had no experience teaching, especially of all things the Bible! Truth is, I was still trying to teach it to myself! But there was no way around this whole teaching thing, not if you were going to be in leadership. And it’s not the teaching alone that was terrifying, but the thought of the students not liking me or worse, not understanding what I was teaching. And to make matters worse, I was a bit self-conscious because I had horrible acne, a chipped tooth and the podium was almost as tall as I am (so, even if they could hear me and understand me, could they see me?)! I was worried, scared and quite insecure about my appearance, about my knowledge of what I was teaching etc. There was this one line that rang over and over in my head, ‘I don’t think this is a good idea.’ And if that wasn’t bad enough, the only advice my leader gave me was ‘there’s no reward without risk. Just give it a chance. You’ll never know if you never try.’ Needless to say, I’ve been teaching ever since! But how did that first session go? Absolutely horrible! LOL! I forgot everything but my name! But my leader kept pushing me week after week. ‘You can do this…you’ll stumble, fall, cry, get a badly bruised ego, but you’ll also dust off, get back up and keep walking…trust me, you’ll get there.’ Guess what? It worked! It was worth the risk! Because now, I have the limitless opportunity to travel anywhere and teach, train, develop, lead…to prepare curriculum’s, seminars and workshops. In church, at work, in schools. And all because the reward was worth the risk. I would never be able to do what I do now, if I didn’t take the risk then.

So, what rewards are you missing out on in life, because you’re too afraid to take the risk?  

Well, how about we start with the definition of ‘risk’? It’s defined as, “a situation involving exposure to danger, injury or harm; the possibility that something unpleasant will happen; the possibility of loss.” Its’ French Origin ‘risque’, from its Italian Origin ‘risco’ literally means ‘danger.’ And a few synonyms are ‘hazard; pitfall; threat; and trouble.’ Trust me, I hear you screaming, ‘that’s why I’m not risking it!’ Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong my friend.

Truth is, anything worth having is worth the risk to get! And yes, that risk will include putting you in situations that can be dangerous (after all, you may fall on your face in front of everybody); the risk can cause injury and harm (especially to your ego, conceit, arrogance, high-mindedness and pride); something unpleasant can happen (you can forget the words, freeze up, stutter, faint, be talked about, gossiped about); you may even encounter loss (especially of the security you had in your comfy, comfort zone); it may be hazardous (because you just may find out that those in your circle were the very ones keeping you boxed in); you may even come across a pitfall (which is defined as ‘a hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty; a covered pit for use as a trap.’ Yep, the very ones who give you the opportunity may actually be setting you up for a great, unsuspected fall); you may actually experience threats (especially if you happen to become better than the others who just knew you’d try, fail and give up…but you didn’t! And so you will have to deal with the oppression that comes with every opportunity.); and lastly, you will have some trouble (after all, did you really think you’d achieve something great without it?)

Yes, my friend, you will have to risk it to get it, but once you do, you’ll realize it was worth it!

Remember this: You Can’t Attain What You Don’t Go After! And when what you’re going after is BIG, you’ll always be tempted to let small stumbles stop you dead in your tracks! Don’t You Dare Let It Happen!

You press forward no matter what! Even if the risk means you have to change your circle of friends; you have to try something new or do something different. It’s worth the risk to get all God has for you and to become all that God has called you to be!

There was this striking poster on the wall. It showed two mountain climbers near the peak of this Alpine mountain, straining to reach the top. But it was the inscription that impressed me most. It read: “Conquest without risk is a triumph without glory.” That’s pretty good.

Now, that doesn’t just apply to reaching the top of a mountain. In fact, it pretty much describes everything worth doing in life. No risk, no meaningful conquest – a triumph without glory. Low risk – low return. High risk – high return. It’s a principle that defines Spiritual Greatness or Spiritual Mediocrity.

Whether it’s a relationship, a job, a career, a ministry, a church, a business, you will encounter risk before reward! Which is what we learn from in our lesson today.

In Numbers 13, the conquest was not a mountain; it was the taking of the Promised Land that God had promised. And if you take a moment to think about that, you’ll realize just how ridiculous we can be when it comes to taking a risk. God Himself promised them the Promised Land. So, how could they allow risk to scare them from what God promised them?

Numbers 23:19, “God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through?” (MSG)

Listen to varying translations of this Scripture:

“God isn’t a man that he would lie, or a human being that he would change his mind. Has he ever spoken and not done it, or promised and not fulfilled it?” (CEB);

“God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.” (CEV);

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” (ERV);

“God is not like people, who lie; He is not a human who changes his mind. Whatever he promises, he does; He speaks, and it is done.” (GNT);

“God is not a human being, and he will not lie. He is not a human, and he does not change his mind. What he says he will do, he does. What he promises, he makes come true.” (NCV);

“God is not a man, that He should lie. He is not a son of man, that He should be sorry for what He has said. Has He said, and will He not do it? Has He spoken, and will He not keep His Word?” (NLV)

Now, how could anyone with this level of Character and Integrity be doubted? How can anyone who serves this God, be fearful enough to forfeit a fruitful future that was guaranteed to be theirs? But can we be honest? Are we really any different? That job would have been ours, if we didn’t talk ourselves out of going for it. Didn’t think we were qualified (and sometimes we weren’t, however, if God says go for it, not even that should stop you)! Who knows the house you would already own if you weren’t so sure that your credit score alone was the guaranteed deal breaker. God doesn’t need your credit score to get you to the goal! Who knows what you’d be driving if only you would have trusted God. Who knows who you would be married to, if you only trusted God, heard and heeded His voice, instead of the internal clock in your head telling you to grab Bubba over there because at 30 he’s the best shot you’ve got. Who knows the grants and scholarships that passed you by because you didn’t think you had what it took for them to come your way. Who knows how well that business would be doing today if only you would have trusted God with the blueprints instead of handing them over to your fears to redesign. Who knows where the church or ministry would be if only you would have believed God when the battle raged instead of retreating and running away.

People of God please commit this to memory: God doesn’t make promises He can’t keep! So if He said it’s yours, it’s yours! And that holds true no matter what you see, what you hear, or what they say or what they look like! God keeps His promises; He keeps His Word; He fulfills it and makes it come true, so why are you doubting? Why are you stagnant? Why are you fearful? Why are you not moving forward? Why are you not trying it? Why are you scared? Why are you not taking the risk?

Listen: They were guaranteed the promise of the Promised Land! Problem? It was currently inhabited by fierce people who, of course, didn’t plan to hand it over. And whether or not they would ever experience all God had for them depended on whether or not they would trust Him enough to take some big risks. Now whether or not you experience all God has for you may depend on that same thing.

So, are you willing to trust God with what He promised you even if you’ll have to take some big risks in the process? Are you willing to risk being talked about, walked away from, laughed at? Are you willing to risk having to endure the uncommon, the unfamiliar and the uncomfortable? Are you willing to take the risk that small minds will attempt to shake your confidence and faith in achieving the big dreams that God said can and will become your reality? Are you willing to risk having to go alone? Are you willing to risk going without the full insight to how God is going to make this thing happen? Are you willing to take the risk to go to the bank, to walk into the dealership, to meet with the loan officer, to apply to the school, to show up for the interview, to write the book, to buy that property or that land? Are you willing to take the risk of being misunderstood? Are you willing to take the risk of looking misplaced for the moment? Are you willing to take the risk?

Twelve scouts had explored the land of Canaan, and they reported back on the fabulous beauty and bounty they found there. But ten of those scouts chose to focus on the risks, two on the Lord who had promised them this land. It boiled down to an exchange like this, recorded in Numbers 13, beginning with verse 27, “This was their report: “We arrived in the land you sent us to see, and it is indeed a magnificent country—a land ‘flowing with milk and honey.’ Here is some fruit we have brought as proof. But the people living there are powerful, and their cities are fortified and very large; and what’s more, we saw Anakim giants there!  The Amalekites live in the south, while in the hill country there are the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites; down along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and in the Jordan River Valley are the Canaanites.” But Caleb reassured the people as they stood before Moses. “Let us go up at once and possess it,” he said, “for we are well able to conquer it!” “Not against people as strong as they are!” the other spies said. “They would crush us!” So the majority report of the spies was negative: “The land is full of warriors, the people are powerfully built, and we saw some of the Anakim there, descendants of the ancient race of giants. We felt like grasshoppers before them, they were so tall!” (TLB)

Now, they brought back fruit (Proof) that the land (God Promised to be Theirs) was indeed Flowing With Milk and Honey. And still, in the face of all of this, the Scripture says, “…So the majority report of the spies was negative.” How do you hold the proof in your hand and still say with your mouth, we can’t handle it?! The Proof Was Already in Your Hand! It’s Prosperous and it’s Promised to Us! And yet they forfeit! That’s like receiving a paid in full mansion, your name only on the deed, nothing owed out of your pocket, the keys in your hands, but you spend 40 years standing on the stoop looking at a door you never open to fully possess what’s already yours!

Keep in mind, anytime you’re about to make a positive change, someone will come with a negative report! The choice is yours to believe it, or believe God. My suggestion? Believe God!

Isaiah 55:8-11, “…For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.” (MSG)

When God sends His Word on Assignment it has no other option than to Fulfill the Assignment! Therefore, you have nothing and no one to worry about when God gives you a Promise! Not the naysayers, not the negative report, not the disapproving stares, or the discouraging words. Nothing can stop what God starts!

Philippians 1:6, “I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.” (GWT)

God has proven Himself trustworthy to Carry to Completion what He Began! In a nutshell: Nothing and No One Can Stop What God Starts! Now, all you need to do is be just as “Convinced”! The word “convince” means “to cause to believe firmly in the truth of something; to persuade to do something.” Its’ Latin Origin ‘convincere’ literally means ‘to overcome, to demonstrate’, from ‘vincere” which means “to conquer.” Listen, if you’re going to get what God’s got for you, it will take risk, but you will reap a reward! And all you’ve got to do is be convinced that what He promised will come to pass! You’ve got to believe firmly in the Truth, regardless of the Facts! Yes, there were Giants (Facts), but they could never be bigger than God (Truth)! That’s why we are to walk by FAITH, not by Sight! Let your Spirit lead you, not your Senses! Because often when God is about to do something BIG, your senses tell you to Shrink back! Don’t You Dare Do It!

Now, as for them, you probably know the result. The people followed the lead of the ten scouts who said, “The risks are too great.” And they never saw the Promised Land! Be careful who you listen to, who you trust, who you share your vision, hopes and dreams with. Everyone will want to reap the rewards with you, but very few will want you to take the risk, and even fewer will take the risk with you! Caleb says, “yes, let’s do this, we got this, we can do this, we can conquer this”, yet the naysayers respond like this:

“So those men gave a report that discouraged the people…” (ERV)

“So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report…” (ESV)

“So they spread a false report among the Israelites…” (GNT)

“So they began to spread lies among the Israelites…” (GWT)

“They spread scary rumors among the People of Israel…” (MSG)

“So they brought the people of Israel bad news…” (NLV)

When you’re getting ready to take a big risk and get what God’s got for you, look out for people like this! Those who will attempt to discourage you, give you a bad or false report, lie to you, spread rumors of fear and bring you bad news! These are dream killers, and destiny destroyers, avoid them at all costs, or you’ll pay a pretty penny in missing out on the Promises of God for your life!

Unfortunate as it may be, they chose what was safe, and they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They could have had wonderful; instead, they lived and died in the wilderness! Many of God’s children over the years have made that same tragic miscalculation. And they have lived that same tragic result. Do you really want that to be descriptive of you?

Right now God may be asking you to follow Him into something risky. To obey Him is going to mean taking a financial risk, or a geographical risk, a social risk, doing something that’s way beyond your comfort zone. Something out of the norm and status quo. But when you get serious about obedience to God and the promises of God, usually such a thing involves risk. But the great danger is not in obeying God’s “risky” leading; it is in not obeying because you won’t risk it at all! You’ll miss the top of the mountain if you listen to every little molehill murmurer along the way. You’ll miss the best that God has for you. You’ll miss the Promised Land. Are you really willing to risk that?

Maybe you’re all settled in at your little base camp at the bottom of the mountain. You’re safe, but you’ll never see the view from the top if you stay where you’ve always been. You’ve been stuck there long enough, it’s time to move on before you miss out.

Dream big; broaden your vision; enlarge your territory; go further; reach higher! They’ve got Giants, but you’ve got God, it’s a Fixed Fight and you’ve got the Fruit in Hand to Prove it! Trust God and Take the Risk, the Reward Reaped Will be Well Worth it!

“It is better to make a thousand failures than to be too cowardly to ever undertake anything.” (Clovis G. Chappell)

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” (Christopher Columbus)

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” (T.S. Eliot)

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” (John D. Rockefeller)

“If you are not willing to risk the Usual you will have to settle for the Ordinary.” (Jim Rohn)

“There can be no great accomplishment without risk.” (Neil Armstrong)

“If it’s still in your mind, it is still worth taking the risk.” (Paulo Coelho)

“I believe that one of life’s greatest risks is never daring to risk.” (Oprah Winfrey)

“If we walk away from risk to keep ourselves safe, we will waste our lives.” (John Piper)

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” (William Shedd)

“And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” (Anais Nin)

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” (Author Unknown)

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” (Theodore Roosevelt)

“Risk more than others think is safe; Care more than others think is wise; Dream more than others think is practical; Expect more than others think is possible.” (Cadet Maxim)

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

Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Why Cholesterol Matters For Women”

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“The Stretching is Strengthening Your Faith!”

“…thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer” (Psalm 4:1)

When God wants to make you a bigger person, He does it through “Distress”! The word “Distress” has an Old French Origin “Destresce”, from Latin “Distringere” which literally means “To Stretch Apart”! And “Stretch” is defined as “To be made or able to be made longer; wider without tearing or breaking; to extend to full length; last longer than expected; extend over a period of time; be sufficient for a particular purpose; extended storage capacity; and to use the maximum of one’s resources”.

You see saints, when you look at “Distress” in its Proper Perspective it doesn’t seem all that bad at all now does it?!

The Psalmist was “…Enlarged…” when he was in “…Distress…”! Trust me, you’re going to want to remember that! To “Enlarge” is defined as “To Make Bigger”! So the Psalmist was Made Bigger By God’s Distressing Stretches which resulted in him being made longer, wider (without tearing or breaking apart), he now also has the ability to extend to his full length, and even last longer than others expected and over a good amount of time as well, not to mention being sufficient in his purpose and having more than enough in his storage capacity to use to the max all of his resources!

In other words, Stop Complaining About Your Distress…It’s the Place Where God Enlarges You! I Bet You’re Ready To Be Distressed Now Aren’t You?!

You see, the way to build a stronger muscle is to lift more weight! Now, when a muscle is put under stress, you groan. But if you persist, that muscle grows stronger and what you were groaning about last week you are smiling about this week, because you can now handle what you couldn’t get a hold of before! Which is why I’m still trying to figure out who said the Christian Life was supposed to be easy? Because It Certainly Was NOT God! His Word actually compares the Believers Life to a Battlefield, not a Bed of Roses! The Bible even declares: “…endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3).

Let’s look at how a few other translations word this text:

“Take [with me] YOUR SHARE of the hardships and suffering [which you are CALLED TO ENDURE] as a good (FIRST-CLASS) soldier of Christ Jesus” (AMP);

“Accept YOUR SHARE of suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (CEB);

“As a good solder of Christ Jesus YOU MUST endure your share of suffering” (CEV);

“Thou therefore suffer affliction as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (GNV);

“JOIN ME in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (GWT);

“TAKE YOUR PART in suffering, as a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus” (GNT);

Hopefully you noticed a few things:

1.       YOU SHOULD’VE NOTICED PHRASES LIKE: “YOUR SHARE” and “JOIN ME”, in the translations above. And why is that relevant? Because, believe it or not, you are not in your Distress ALONE! When God calls you to endure hardness, He does not send you as a lone soldier and call you an Army! So before you start complaining, realize that you are not the only one! Here’s a perfect Scriptural Example: Elijah said, “I am the ONLY ONE LEFT, and now they are trying to kill me, too” (1 Kings 19:10, 14) And God’s reply? “Yet I will preserve 7,000 OTHERS in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!” (1 Kings 19:18). Right when you think you’re the ONLY ONE, God will show you He has 7,000 More, Just Like You! As hard and lonely as your distressing moment may feel, you are not alone! You have other brothers and sisters in distress with you! If you stop your self-made pity party, you could celebrate the presence of your comrades! You are not the only one struggling in marriage; you are not the only one praying the Lord has mercy on your children’s idiotic decisions; you are not the only one battling loneliness in the midnight hour; you are not the only one unemployed; taking medication; surviving an illness; dissatisfied with the reflection they see in the mirror; heartbroken or trying to figure out how do I get myself out of what I got myself into?! Listen, the military does not call one soldier an army! Neither does God! You have soldiers who are fighting day-to-day just like you to win the battles of life. And just like them, YOU must take YOUR SHARE and JOIN in the warfare with the rest of God’s Army! So no more murmuring and complaining, as the Word of God admonishes you, JOIN In the Suffering and TAKE YOUR SHARE As a Good Solider!

“Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining – it bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn’t solve any problems.” (Zig Ziglar);

“If you’re not going to put forth any effort to change it, don’t waste your efforts complaining about it.” (Author Unknown);

“Complaining is draining. Complaining only takes away energy from today and never solves the problems for tomorrow.” (James Altucher);

“If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” (Dr. Maya Angelou);

“Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining.” (Teddy Roosevelt);

“If you’re not helping to make it right, then stop complaining about it being wrong.” (Author Unknown)

2.       DID YOU NOTICE THAT THOSE WHO “ENDURE” are “CALLED to Endure”? Read the text! “Take [with me] YOUR SHARE of the hardships and suffering [which you are CALLED TO ENDURE]…” (AMP) I find it absolutely Amazing that we don’t mind being called to preach, teach, prophesy, pray, preside, lay hands, lead the solo, sit in the pulpit, in the big, special chair, or on the front pew or to wear all sorts of titles, positions, offices, rings, robes and bedazzled crosses, but we Complain About Being Called To Endure! Oh, you can CALL us Apostle, Prophet, Bishop, Pastor, Elder, Evangelist, Minister, Deacon, Missionary, Director…Just Don’t CALL Us to Endure! Oh, you can CALL us blessed, anointed, gifted, talented, awesome, phenomenal, handsome, beautiful, smeared in blessed oil…Just Don’t CALL Us to Endure! Listen, “Endure” simply means “to suffer (something painful and prolonged) PATIENTLY; to TOLERATE; and to Remain in Existence” In other words, NO you’re not going to come out of it in 2 days, you are Called to Endure…Patiently! Tolerate it, Handle It, Remain in its Existence or in other words, Stop Trying to Outrun Suffering and Hardness That Is Your Share to Carry! Stand Still and Handle It, That’s What Good Soldiers Are Commanded To Do!

In addition, God Would Not Give You A Calling He Didn’t Equip You To Answer! Listen to the Word of God: “Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it).” (Hebrews 13:21 AMP); “ 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.” (Philippians 1:6 AMP); “And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].” (Romans 8:30 AMP) People of God, You Are Not In Your Distress Alone and God Called You to Endure It! And Last I Checked, Obedience Is Still Better Than Sacrifice!

“Without patient endurance, even the smallest thing becomes unbearable. A lot depends on our attitude.” (Dalai Lama);

“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a difficult thing, but to turn it into glory.” (William Barclay);

“Don’t pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” (Bruce Lee);

“Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen.” (Oswald Chambers);

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, Yet, I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.” (Og Mandino);

“I’m a distance runner. I’ve been trained to keep going, even when it’s hard. When it hurts. When it sucks. When I don’t want to. I look past it. Relentless forward progress to the finish. Call it what you want; stubbornness, endurance, determination, guts. Deep down, I don’t know how to give up.” (Author Unknown)

3.       ONE OF THE TRANSLATIONS DECLARES, “…you MUST endure your share of suffering”(CEV)  The word “MUST” is defined as “To be obligated”. “Obligated” has a Latin Origin “Obligare”, from “Ligare” which literally means “To Bind”!  It’s root is found in the legal field and is called a “Binding Agreement/Contract”, and in a nutshell it is defined as: “An agreement with specific terms between two or more persons or entities in which there is a promise to do something in return for a valuable benefit known as consideration”. It also carries the definition, “An agreement between two or more parties, especially one that is written and enforceable by law”. If anyone in the Bible was the epitome of a “Binding Agreement/Contract”, it was the Apostle Paul! And even he was not alone, both Timothy and James were called Bondservants as well, and a Bondservants’ main purpose is to be Obedient To Their Master! When something is Binding Nothing Should Separate It! It’s an Agreement a Contract that Serves to Benefit Both Parties! You are indeed called to endure hardness and handle your place of distress, which means you are obligated to this also! This is not an option! This is a requirement! It’s a legal, written (the Bible) Law, Agreement and Contract between you and your God! So as Distressing as it may be, You MUST Endure It! Never Forget, Every Binding Agreement Comes With a Promise Attached!

“Great moves of God are usually preceded by simple acts of obedience.” (Steven Furtick);

“We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see.” (Boyd K. Packer);

“Obedience is an act of faith; disobedience is the result of unbelief.” (Edwin Louis Cole);

“Obedience doesn’t make God love you more, but it does show that you love God.” (Greg J. Barber);

“Be obedient even when you do not know where obedience may lead you.” (Sinclair Ferguson);

“Obedience is a choice. It is a choice between our own limited knowledge and power and God’s unlimited wisdom and omnipotence.” (L. Tom Perry);

“Let the consequences of your obedience be left up to God.” (Oswald Chambers);

“God is awesome. He doesn’t need you to be awesome; He needs you to be obedient.” (Matt Chandler);

“There will be no peace in any soul until it is willing to obey the Voice of God.” (D.L. Moody);

“In times of distress, let your covenants be paramount and let your obedience be exact.” (D. Todd Christofferson);

“Selective obedience brings selective blessings.” (Jorg Klebingat);

“When the Holy Spirit lays something in your heart, move without hesitation. You have no idea who may be depending on your immediate obedience.” (Author Unknown);

“He who refuses to obey, cannot command.” (Author Unknown)

4.       I’VE ALWAYS LOVED THE SAYING, “GOD DON’T MAKE NO JUNK!” And that’s the truth! One of the translations above even calls us, “…FIRST CLASS SOLDIERS…” Even in Distress, We Are Still First-Class! We May Have to Endure Sitting In Distress, But At Least We Do It Sitting In First-Class! Listen, God Called You and Equipped You, Therefore, You Can Endure It! Yes, Your Uniform Has Been Beaten, Battered and, Torn, But Don’t You Dare Take It Off and Don’t You Dare Abandon It! You Are a First-Class Soldier and You Can Endure! So Act Like It!

“Don’t ever make the mistake of telling God that you have nothing to offer. That simply is not true. God does not create any junk.” (Dr. Myles Munroe);

“I am somebody cause God don’t make no junk.” (Ethel Waters);

“I am a Citizen of a Kingdom that Cannot be Shaken. A Child of a King with No Limitations.” (Author Unknown);

“You have something to offer that nobody else can offer. Nobody has your exact personality or your gifts. You are more than average. You are one-of-a-kind.” (Author Unknown)

And What Has All of That to do with Strengthening Your Faith? Well, Satan’s number one target is your FAITH! And if you don’t learn how to stand your ground in the midst of distressing seasons, he will aim at, and hit the target of your faith, piercing it through-and-through every time! Just ask Peter!

Jesus said to Peter, “…Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your FAITH should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32 NKJV). In the same way you separate wheat from chaff, Satan wants to separate you from your Faith!  Don’t Let It Happen! No Matter How Deep the Distress, No Matter How Far The Stretch, No Matter How Enormous The Endurance Must Be…Don’t Let Your Faith Fail!

Listen: Not only did Peter survive this attack, and strengthen his brothers, but he also grew through it and wrote: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12 NKJV). The Amplified Bible says it like this: “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.”

In other words, “There Will Be Glory After This!” And It’s Coming, Just Around the Corner! So remain steadfast on your journey! Fight, Endure, and While You’re Strengthening Your Faith, Strengthen Your Brothers, And Before You Know It, God Will Enlarge You IN Distress…And When It’s Done He Will Have Glory Waiting to Greet You…Just Around the Corner!

If Satan can destroy your confidence in God and His Word, he wins and you lose! So the Word for you today is to be encouraged because “The Stretching is Only to Strengthen Your Faith!”

“You have to sweat for it. HE requires an investment from you. The miracle is in your discomfort. Stretch!” (Bishop T.D. Jakes)

“The circumstances of life will shrink or stretch your faith. Either way, the choice is always yours.” (James MacDonald)

“Sometimes God stirs us out of comfortable situations in order to stretch us and cause us to exercise our faith. We may not like it, and it may not always be comfortable, but God loves us too much to just leave us the way we are.” (Author Unknown)

“The stretching of your faith is an immediate pain that results in ultimate gain. It is in the waiting that we become who we are meant to be.” (Mandy Hale)

“This season, God is stretching you. You won’t pop, but you will stretch in your faith, dreams, vision, and goals. Trust God and stretch.” (Author Unknown)

“For God’s purpose to Spread, God’s people must Stretch.” (Steven Furtick)

“God doesn’t always take you out of the problem. Sometimes, He stretches your faith by taking you through the problem.” (Rick Warren)

“If God is stretching you, He’s transforming you.” (Author Unknown)

“You can’t grow without being stretched.” (Amy Gatliff)

“God’s plan is so big for you that it’ll require you to Stretch!” (Author Unknown)

“When God is stretching you, expect great things on the other side.” (Author Unknown)

“When God stretches you beyond your comfort zone, He’s preparing you for greater.” (Dianna Hobbs)

“God wants us to be constantly stretching and growing. There are new levels for you to rise up to. There are new treasures within you to discover. Explore what God has placed within you because He has purpose for everything within you.” (Victoria Osteen)

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

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“Does Your FAITH Still Have a PULSE?”

James 2:26, “The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.” (MSG)

We become so engrossed in what we see, feel, and hear, that we operate within our natural senses rather than our spiritual ones! However, the Bible instructs us: “THROUGH YOUR FAITH, God is protecting you by His power” (1 Peter 1:5 NLT). Therefore, you need to keep in mind that your “FAITH” is what Activates the Power of God in your life! Just imagine if you dared to increase your mustard seed faith and started nurturing it to grow bigger, taking it to new levels, what would God release in your life?! Because He heals, THROUGH YOUR FAITH; He delivers, THROUGH YOUR FAITH; He saves, THROUGH YOUR FAITH; He Opens and Shuts Doors, THROUGH YOUR FAITH; He grants opportunities that you don’t even qualify for, THROUGH YOUR FAITH; He protects you with His power…THROUGH YOUR FAITH! So, what’s the pulse of your faith today? Can you even feel it anymore, or have you become so conditioned to living in the comfort zone, in the familiar, in fear that it’s barely alive anymore?

Look at it this way: Before a stone becomes a diamond it’s just carbon put under millions of pounds of pressure! Which helps us understand better what the Bible means when it says, “These TRIALS will show that your FAITH is genuine” (vs. 7 NLT). YOU SEE, TROUBLE NOT ONLY PLACES A DEMAND ON YOUR FAITH, BUT REVEALS THE DEPTH OF IT! Truth is, you don’t really know much about your faith when your bills are paid, your body is healthy, your children are acting right, and your marriage is intact! BUT WHEN ALL HELL IS BREAKING LOOSE AND YOU TRUST GOD TO BRING YOU THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW YOU’VE GOT GENUINE FAITH! When you trust God even with the disconnect notice in the mail or the eviction notice stapled to the door; when you have faith in God when the finances are in an exceeding drought; when you rely on God and yet have no idea where the bill money is coming from, where the gas money is coming from, where the rent, mortgage, car note, insurance and tuition money is coming from; when you continue to quote the Word even when the doctor hits you with yet another diagnosis! This is when the testing of your faith proves if it’s genuine, or if it’s just another form of godliness! 2 Timothy 3:5, “holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.” (AMP)

You see, when trials hit, the enemy attacks your mind, your rest, your peace, your emotions and your thought life! So what can you do?  Lift up the shield of faith and stop his flaming arrows: “…take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” and use it to drive him back! (Ephesians 6:17 NKJV). That’s what genuine faith does when the attacks of life come, blow by blow! Faith wields the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, it uses that Word to drive the enemy back! For instance, genuine faith speaks healing when the doctor speaks sickness; it speaks covenant when the marriage is speaking divorce; it speaks peace when the whole household speaks chaos; it speaks life when depression is telling you to slit your wrists and die! Genuine faith refuses to allow circumstances and situations, trials, struggles and tribulations to cause it to get in the bed and pull the covers over its head. No, genuine faith gets up every morning without an alarm clock and continues to go to work!

People of God, Put Your Faith To Work! Say, “Enough is Enough”, and begin to take back what the enemy has stolen from you! David Did! The Bible says, “David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray you, bring me the ephod. And Abiathar brought him the ephod. And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? THE LORD ANSWERED HIM, PURSUE, FOR YOU SHALL SURELY OVERTAKE THEM AND WITHOUT FAIL RECOVER ALL.” (1 Samuel 30:7-8 AMP). IN OTHER WORDS, STOP WHINING AND WHIMPERING AND WIELD YOUR WEAPON! GET THE WORD AND PUT YOUR FAITH TO WORK! All you need is the go-ahead from God, and when you get it, GO FORTH, BECAUSE YOU WILL RECOVER ALL AND WITHOUT FAIL! Take heart, this fight my friend is already fixed in your favor, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about! You will succeed, because God has already spoken that you will not fail!

Listen to another example, the Syrian army had surrounded the city of Samaria and its population was dying of starvation. Having lived off scraps of bread that folks threw over the wall each day, four lepers quickly assessed that they were in trouble. They said, “WHY SIT HERE UNTIL WE DIE?” (2 Kings 7:3 TLB). So they went into the city, only to discover God had worked a miracle, causing the Syrians to flee in terror, leaving behind them food, water, and riches! What do we learn from these four lepers? REFUSE TO SIT THERE AND DIE! WHEN YOU PUT YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION, GOD WILL GO TO WORK ON YOUR BEHALF! BUT YOU HAVE TO RISE UP AND SAY: “IF I’M GOING TO DIE, I’M GOING TO DO IT REACHING FOR SOMETHING, BUILDING SOMETHING, GOING AFTER SOMETHING!” I REFUSE TO JUST SIT HERE AND DIE, WHEN I STILL HAVE OPTIONS! And my greatest option is that I still have faith in GOD!

WHEN IT FEELS LIKE YOU’RE DOWN FOR THE COUNT OF TEN, YOU HAVE TO RISE UP AND SAY: “I SHALL NOT DIE, BUT LIVE, AND DECLARE THE WORKS OF THE LORD” (Psalm 118:17 NKJV). THAT KIND OF FAITH GETS GOD’S ATTENTION EVERY TIME! It is a declaration and decree that I will not give up, I will not give in, I will not give out, I will not throw in the towel, I will not quit, I will not give the enemy the opportunity to see me die, when I can live and continue to declare the works of the Lord! Your faith is your ammunition when the enemy tries to come in and snuff out your life. You open your mouth and speak faith that silences fear, and live! YOUR MOUTH HAS THE POWER OF LIFE AND DEATH, BUT THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS YOURS, AFTER ALL, IT IS YOUR MOUTH! MAKE THE WISE DECISION TODAY TO SPEAK LIFE!

You see, I’ve learned from personal experience, when you get DESPERATE enough in your faith, you won’t even care who God uses to help you, you’ll be willing to receive any help He sends your way! Just ask Naaman! Naaman the leper, a five-star general in the Syrian army, humbled himself and eventually became willing to listen to a girl who washed dishes and made beds in his house! (Listen: WHEN SOMEBODY HAS AN ANSWER FROM GOD TO DELIVER TO YOU, YOU WON’T CARE WHO THE MESSENGER IS!) Genuine faith says, ‘I just need the message to be God delivered, and I don’t care if the delivery man/woman is an usher, janitor, drunk, maid, donkey, bus driver, bird, water, sanitation worker, hobo, CEO, young, old, black, white, male or female, leader or laity, seated high or seated low, age 8 or age 80, I just need the message to be God delivered to me!’ Genuine faith cares about the content of the message on the inside, not the kind of labeling of the container on the outside!

Think about it, Naaman was even willing to dip seven times in the dirtiest river around, in order to come up clean (2 Kings 5:1-19). GENUINE FAITH SAYS: “I DON’T CARE WHERE I HAVE TO GO, WHAT I HAVE TO DO, OR WHO I HAVE TO LISTEN TO, WHATEVER GOD SAYS, I’LL DO IT!” SAINTS, WHY LIVE WITH A DISEASE WHEN YOU CAN SIMPLY BELIEVE GOD, TRUST WHAT HE SAYS, AND PUT YOUR FAITH TO WORK?! I MEAN WHY DIE WHEN YOU CAN LIVE?! Why die in fear when you can live in faith?!

Luke records: “As He…passed through…Samaria…there met Him ten…lepers, who…lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said…’Go show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed” (vss. 11-14 NKJV). Lepers were social outcasts, SO THEY LIVED TOGETHER IN A COLONY! BUT THE PROBLEM IS, YOU CAN’T GET WELL, HANGING AROUND PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST AS SICK AS YOU ARE! And this is where we mess up because we don’t take the problem to Jesus, we take it to people, and more often than not, people who are worse off than we are! I mean if you don’t have any money, what’s the point in telling Michelle, who’s broker than you? If your marriage is on the rocks, why are you telling Keith whose marriage is on life support? If your children are failing in school, whey tell Lisa whose daughter dropped out 3 months ago? If the doctor said it’s Cancer, why tell it to Paul who don’t have enough faith to believe God to heal him from the common cold? Are you getting this? You can’t heal in the same colony of folks who are just as sick (or sicker) than you! Which means you need to bring the problem to JESUS! The Bible says, “When evening came, THEY BROUGHT TO HIM many who were under the power of demons, AND HE DROVE OUT THE SPIRITS WITH A WORD AND RESTORED TO HEALTH ALL WHO WERE SICK.” (Matthew 8:16 AMP). IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T JUST SIT THERE AND DIE! AND DON’T HANG AROUND THOSE WHO ARE DYING EITHER! GET UP AND GET TO JESUS! Why? BECAUSE HE’LL DRIVE OUT THOSE DEMONIC SPIRITS WITH A WORD AND RESTORE YOU AND ALL ATTACHED TO YOU TO HEALTH! I reiterate, why sit in fear and die when you can walk by faith and live?!

Also, notice the words, “HE PASSED THROUGH…” Jesus didn’t go to the leper colony, He was just passing through. What do you do when you’re losing your life, your family, your health, your peace, your joy, your job, your mind, your finances, etc…and Jesus doesn’t even seem to be looking in your direction? You can get frustrated when it feels like He’s blessing everybody but you, and wonder, “Lord, when is my turn coming? I’ve served You faithfully, yet it seems like everybody else is the object of Your attention and affection.” Right There, It’s Time To Cry Out Just Like the Lepers, “Jesus, Have Mercy On Me!” AWAY WITH DIGNITY AND DECORUM; DESPERATE PEOPLE PRAY DESPERATE PRAYERS, AND GOD RESPONDS!

Notice also, when Jesus was passing by these lepers did NOT shout, “Unclean,” as the law REQUIRED! NO, THEY BROKE PROTOCOL! LISTEN: WHEN YOU’RE IN A BAD SITUATION, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BREAK OUT IN ORDER TO BREAK-THROUGH! You have to learn to respond like the psalmist:  “I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill” (Psalm 3:4 NKJV). PEOPLE OF GOD, DON’T LET NOBODY BOX YOU INTO A CORNER PEW AND SHHH YOU DOWN! CRY LOUD AND SPARE NOT! OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND GET JESUS’ ATTENTION! DESPERATE PEOPLE ARE A DETERMINED PEOPLE! AND WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO LOSE, YOU GO ALL THE WAY IN! SCREAM UNTIL YOU LOSE YOUR VOICE, CLAP YOUR HANDS UNTIL THEY TURN RED! DANCE UNTIL YOU COLLAPSE! SHOUT UNTIL MOTHER SITTING NEXT TO YOU TURNS OFF HER HEARING AID! RUN AROUND THAT CHURCH LIKE FLO JO! WHATEVER YOU DO, GET HIS ATTENTION! DON’T BECOME FEARFUL, FAINTHEARTED, FALTERING, OR FOOLISH! SIMPLY BELIEVE GOD’S PROMISE TO YOU AND PUT YOUR FAITH TO WORK!

Let’s look again at the ten lepers Jesus healed. In the Final Stages of their disease THE FLESH LITERALLY BEGAN DROPPING OFF THEIR BODIES! But notice, Jesus didn’t lay hands on them or pray for them. He didn’t even address their leprosy. INSTEAD HE COMMANDED THEM TO GO AND SHOW THEMSELVES TO THE PRIEST! How odd. To some of us it might even seem ridiculous. BUT OFTENTIMES BEFORE GOD DOES THE MIRACULOUS, SOMETIMES HE’LL ASK YOU TO DO THE RIDICULOUS! Indeed, when He tells you to do something it may not seem like it’s even related to what you’re praying about at all. When that happens, you have a decision to make: doubt Him, or obey Him! My Suggestion: Instead of discussing the issue endlessly, JUST DO WHAT HE’S TOLD YOU TO DO! REAL FAITH IN ACTION NEEDS NO EXPLANATION IN ORDER TO ACT! SOMETIMES GOD WILL GIVE YOU “A WORD” AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT’S NOT EVEN WORKING – BUT IT IS – YES, EVEN WHEN IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE IT!  THE FAITH THAT GOD RESPONDS TO DOES NOT REQUIRE UNDERSTANDING OF THE ORDERS GIVEN, JUST OBEDIENCE IN CARRYING THEM OUT! AND WHEN YOU DO, YOU’LL BE AMAZED AT WHAT HE DOES IN THE MEANTIME!

“And so it was that AS THEY WENT, they were cleansed” (vs. 14 NKJV). Note the words, “AS THEY WENT” The Bible says, “The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord…” (Psalm 37:23 AMP). Listen, WHEN GOD TELLS YOU SOMETHING, STEP OUT ON IT! THE WORD HAS ALREADY DECLARED THAT HE’S ORDERED, DIRECTED, AND ESTABLISHED YOUR EVERY STEP! BUT DOES THAT MEAN YOU HAVE TO WALK IT ALONE? ABSOLUTELY NOT, THE BIBLE SAYS, “And so it was that AS THEY WENT, THEY were cleansed”. You don’t have to walk this faith out by yourself, HOWEVER, WHEN YOU WALK IN FAITH, IT’S A ONE WAY STREET! ONLY THOSE GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION CAN GO WITH YOU! ALL OPPOSING TRAFFIC HAS TO PICK ANOTHER STREET! WHEN YOU WALK IN FAITH, YOU ARRIVE SAFELY TO YOUR DESTINATION, AND ONLY WITH THE COMPANY OF THOSE WHO WERE HEADING IN THE SAME DIRECTION! THEREFORE, WORK YOUR FAITH BY WALKING IN FAITH, BUT WATCH THOSE WHO YOU ALLOW TO WALK WITH YOU! LIKE-MINDED FAITH WALKERS WILL KEEP YOU ON TRACK, BUT DOUBTERS WILL TRIP YOU UP EVERY TIME!

Lastly, try to imagine this: “And so it was that AS THEY WENT, they were cleansed” (vs. 14 NKJV). IMAGINE THAT WHILE THEY ARE WALKING, THEIR TOES ARE GROWING BACK! AS THEY MOVE IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD, IN FAITH, A STUB TURNS BACK INTO A FINGER! THEIR SKIN IS RENEWING BEFORE THEIR VERY EYES! GOD IS PUTTING THEM BACK TOGETHER AGAIN, AS THEY WALK OUT THE WORD HE GAVE THEM! THAT’S WHY YOU CAN’T STOP NOW! KEEP WALKING BY FAITH! BECAUSE AS YOU WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD HE’S GIVEN YOU, YOUR MARRIAGE IS REPAIRING; YOUR CHILDREN ARE RETURNING; YOUR FINANCES ARE REPLENISHING; THE RUINS OF YOUR HEALTH ARE RESTORING! CELLS, VALVES, ARTERIES, MUSCLES, TISSUE, BREATHING, HEART RATE, GLUCOSE, ARE ALL COMING BACK INTO THE NORMAL RANGE. YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND BLOOD PRESSURE ARE BACK AT OPTIMAL LEVELS. THE ARTHRITIS IS EASING UP; THE PAIN IS SUBSIDING; THE SWELLING IS DECREASING; THE BONES ARE REGAINING NEW STRENGTH; THE HURT IS HEALING; THE X-RAYS ARE TURNING IN YOUR FAVOR; THE DIAGNOSIS IS REDIAGNOSING FOR THE BETTER. THE MEDICATIONS ARE LOWERING. YOUR SENSES ARE BACK TO FUNCTIONING AT THEIR BEST. THE CANE, CRUTCH, WHEELCHAIR AND WALKER ARE ALREADY PREPARED TO BE GIVEN TO SOMEONE ELSE SINCE YOU NO LONGER HAVE NEED OF THEM. YOU’RE COMING OFF ACCESS-A-RIDE AND GETTING BACK BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A CAR AGAIN! OXYGEN TANKS HAVE TO BE PICKED UP FOR GOOD BECAUSE YOUR LUNGS FOUND NEW AIR! AS YOU WALK BY FAITH IN OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD GOD GAVE YOU, HE’S BRINGING EVERYTHING OUT OF ORDER BACK INTO ORDER! AS YOU WALK BY FAITH, HE’S RESTORING, HEALING, DELIVERING, SAVING, REPLENISHING, REPAIRING, REDEEMING! THAT’S WHY YOU CAN’T GET STAGNANT IN FEAR AND DIE, KEEP YOUR FAITH STRIDE MOVING FORWARD, GOD IS PUTTING YOU BACK TOGETHER AGAIN AS YOU GO!

“HE WHO HAS BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL COMPLETE IT!” (Philippians 1:6 NKJV). GOD BEGUN THIS WORK IN YOU AND HE’S GOING TO COMPLETE IT! RISE UP IN FAITH AND DECLARE, AS BAD AS IT WAS, AS DEPRESSED AS I WAS, AS BROKE AS I WAS, AS SICK AS I WAS, AS UNEMPLOYED AS I WAS, AS BAD AS MY MARRIAGE WAS: “IT’S ALL COMING BACK TOGETHER!” THE MORE YOU WALK BY FAITH, GOD IS RESTORING, RESURRECTING, RETURNING, REVIVING, REGENERATING, REESTABLISHING, AND IN THE END YOU’LL DO THE REJOICING WHEN ALL OF THE BROKEN PIECES ARE FINALLY BROUGHT BACK TOGETHER AGAIN! AND ALL IT TAKES IS FAITH THAT WORKS! 

“And He said to her, Daughter, YOUR FAITH (YOUR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN ME, SPRINGING FROM FAITH IN GOD) HAS RESTORED YOU TO HEALTH. GO IN (INTO) PEACE AND BE CONTINUALLY HEALED AND FREED FROM YOUR [DISTRESSING BODILY] DISEASE!” (Mark 5:24 AMP). People of God, PUT YOUR FAITH TO WORK, AND WATCH YOUR FAITH WORK FOR YOU! AND KNOW THIS, THIS WILL NOT BE A HEALING THAT COMES TO YOU IN MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS! NO, THIS HEALING IS GOING TO BE ‘…CONTINUALLY HEALED AND FREED…’ And all you have to do is refuse to die in fear, and instead, live in faith!

Now, With All That Said, I Have a Few Questions For You: 

Is your faith still alive and well?

Is it still growing?

Are you still feeding it?

Are you still nurturing it

Are you still walking in it?

Are you still working in it?

Are you still living in it?

Does Your Faith Still Have a Pulse?

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “When Healthy Eating Becomes Unhealthy”

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“Don’t Let Distractions Shift Your Focus”

Philippians 3:15-16, “So let’s keep FOCUSED on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, GOD WILL CLEAR YOUR BLURRED VISION—YOU’LL SEE IT YET! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.” (MSG)

My dad was indeed crazy about sports, particularly baseball, football and basketball. He had his favorite teams, and you could hear him from miles away as he rooted for his best! And truth is, much like my dad, just about all American’s are pretty passionate about their sports too. Now, if my dad had to pick just one sport as a favorite, he would hands down choose baseball. However, my nephew would, without a doubt, vote for basketball as the most exciting sport of all time. And basketball action is pretty physical. It’s constantly changing, it’s intense, it’s unpredictable. And even though I know little of nothing about the sport, I’ve watched enough to know about this one thing. You see, there’s this one point where it does slow down a little, much to the relief of the players I’m sure. But if a player is fouled by someone from the other team, he gets to shoot one or two FREE THROWS.

And that down time is a time when nobody on the court is bothering you or trying to defend against you, no one is touching you, bumping you, or blocking you. Actually I really shouldn’t say no one’s bothering you, especially if you’re the visiting team. Because when you’re facing that basket trying to make your free throw, you’re also facing all the local fans who, of course, want you to miss! They’re jumping up and down, they’re making noise, they’re waving their arms, and they’re waving signs in your face. Which means, if you’re going to try to score some points with this free throw, you’ve got to seriously CONCENTRATE. The word “Concentrate” is defined as “to focus all one’s attention or mental effort on an object or activity.” Its Latin Origin comes from “Con” (meaning ‘together’) and “Centrum” (meaning ‘center’). To concentrate is therefore to bring all of your mental effort together to focus on the one thing that is necessary, that which is the center of your attention. Sounds a lot like David and Paul doesn’t it? Psalm 27:4, “I’m asking God for ONE THING, ONLY ONE THING: To live with Him in His house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate His beauty; I’ll study at this feet” (MSG); Philippians 3:13, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but ONE THING I DO: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (AMP). Can you imagine being that single-minded? Better yet, can you imagine trying to be that single-minded when attempting to make a free throw shot while everyone is attempting to do whatever it takes to throw you off your game?!

In fact, I didn’t know there’s even an actual name for it in basketball, they call it “FREE THROW DISTRACTIONS.” And it’s pretty big and sometimes very hilarious and other times quite disturbing. You see, it’s when you have fans that will wear weird and outrageous outfits, make faces, scream, taunt, provoke, make crazy sounds, even take off their clothes, and all of it just to make you lose your CONCENTRATION! Their only goal is to make sure you don’t make yours!

Now, let’s be honest. Many of us have distractions we face daily, but can you imagine having a whole stadium of people attempting everything in their power to distract you? And all of this effort just because they want to see you lose!

This thought brought to mind Hebrews 10:32-38, here’s what it says: “But remember the earlier days, when, after being [spiritually] enlightened, you [patiently] endured a great conflict of sufferings,  sometimes by being made a spectacle, publicly exposed to insults and distress, and sometimes by becoming companions with those who were so treated.  For you showed sympathy and deep concern for those who were imprisoned, and you joyfully accepted the [unjust] seizure of your belongings and the confiscation of your property, conscious of the fact that you have a better possession and a lasting one [prepared for you in heaven].  Do not, therefore, fling away your [fearless] confidence, for it has a glorious and great reward.  For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised. For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one [the one justified by faith] shall live by faith [respecting man’s relationship to God and trusting Him]; And if he draws back [SHRINKING IN FEAR], My soul has no delight in him. BUT OUR WAY IS NOT THAT OF THOSE WHO SHRINK BACK TO DESTRUCTION, but [we are] of those who believe [relying on God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by this confident faith preserve the soul.” (AMP)

This passage from the Bible suggests an idea that’s pretty common in modern athletics. You hear this word a lot – FOCUS. And it’s not focusing in good times, but focusing in hard times! Times when you’re attacked, taunted, provoked, and even insulted! The word “focus” has many definitions, but the one I like is “to pay particular attention to.” Just like that basketball player. He’s got to focus on making that basket; what it takes to sink it when you’ve got a thousand nuts out there trying to get you to look somewhere else. That player has all kinds of sights and sounds trying to get his attention. But he’s got to tune it all out. His eye is fixed on the basket. To attain his goal, he has to Pay Particular Attention!

The Bible says, “We have a race marked out for us.” The Lord has set the course for your life. You’ve got gifts to use for Him, you’ve got people to influence for Him, you have work to get done for Him, you have days that are yours with which to glorify Him and keep striving toward His prize. All that matters is getting to that finish line. Truth is we should all want to have Paul’s testimony: 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight. I have Completed the race. I have kept the faith.” (GWT). That word “complete” is defined as “having run its full course; finished; to the greatest extent or degree; total.” It’s Latin Origin “Complere” literally means “to fill up, finish, and fulfill.” And isn’t that what every believer wants? To fulfill the Will of God for their life? Well, it’s possible, it’s doable, you just have to concentrate and focus and you’ll finish your fulfillment! Will it be easy? Absolutely not! But it will most certainly be worth it to hear: Matthew 25:21, “…Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.” (AMP). Listen, the Lord has indeed promised to do His part, Philippians 1:6, “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and COMPLETE IT until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].” (AMP). But in the words of the Apostle Paul, we have our part to do as well: “…I have FINISHED the work I was to do…” (NLV). To finish well, you need to focus well!

Now, the player who has to make this free throw shot has a lot coming at him and all at the same time! There’s a lot that could blur his vision, cloud his judgment, shift his focus, and cause him to lose his concentration. After all, that player could look at the crowd. He could look at the competitors all around him. He could look at all the signs that say ‘MISS IT!’ But a champion, of course, always focuses on the upward goal. What he has to do is more important than what others around him are trying to do to him.

Now, if we are to all be honest, truth is, we all fight with distractions every day! It’s easy to have your attention drawn away to a problem person, or your finances, or making more money, or a thousand little annoyances. You can be distracted by temptation, or as I often am, by an overwhelming “to do” list. And dare we mention television, phones, and social media? Even in church we can get so caught up in positions, protocols and programs that we never focus on fulfilling our purpose. But that’s the goal of distraction, to cause you to retract from forward progression. In fact, the word “Retract” means “to draw or be drawn back; to withdraw; to go back on.” Its Latin Origin “Retrahere” literally means “to draw back.” And is there danger in being distracted to the point of going backwards? Absolutely! Just take a look at Luke 9:62 in a few translations:

“But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.” (AMP);

“Jesus answered, “Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn’t worth a thing to God’s kingdom!” (CEV);

“Jesus said, “Anyone who begins to plow a field but looks back is not prepared for God’s kingdom.” (ERV)

“Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (MSG)

“Jesus said, “Anyone who begins to plow a field but keeps looking back is of no use in the kingdom of God.” (NCV)

 “But Jesus told him, “Anyone who lets himself be DISTRACTED from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” (TLB)

Listen: You cannot afford to be drawn back, go back, procrastinate or allow yourself to be distracted from your assignment, ministry, race, work, calling or purpose! It makes you unfit, unfocused and ultimately unfulfilled! You can’t make the mark while aiming at everything but the mark! If you ever take the time to look at the faces of the athletes when they’re on the line and focused on making their free throw shot, you will be amazed at the intensity of their stare, focus and concentration. And even though their free throw shot is important to them in that moment, surely you know we have a mark to make that’s a tad bit more important! We have to finish what our Father assigned to our hands to do!

1 Corinthians 3:9-15, “For we are God’s fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God’s cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God’s building. According to the [remarkable] grace of God which was given to me [to prepare me for my task], like a skillful master builder I laid a foundation, and now another is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work. If any person’s work which he has built [on this foundation, that is, any outcome of his effort] remains [and survives this test], he will receive a reward. But if any person’s work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire.” (AMP) The Message Bible says it like this: “Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working. Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.” (MSG)

2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].” (AMP)

That’s Why You Need to Maintain Your Free-Throw Focus! Not Only Do You Have a Work to Complete For God, But It Will Be Inspected By God! Concentrate!

But, maybe your attention is drawn to this or that conflict or to something you’re afraid of, or something you’re worried about. Whatever it is, it’s yelling, “Look at me instead!“, and sadly, many of us do to our distraction and demise. Truth is, we have thrown away enough days by letting ourselves become frustrated, allowing ourselves to worry and panic and feel sorry for ourselves. What’s the answer then? Here we go again, FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS! It begins when your day begins. You fill up with Jesus in the waking moments. That’s a conscious choice you make. You listen to worship music, Christian radio, go to Christian websites. You take time to listen to the Lord in His Word and prayer, and then you refocus on Him several times during the day DELIBERATELY. Stop allowing the crowd to shift your focus! Whether it’s on the job, in the home, in business or in the church, keep your focus!

Refocus on Jesus and His assignment and purpose for your life because He’s holding you accountable for the work!

All the distracters will always be there waving, shouting, and screaming for your attention. But a champion knows they’ve got to make the difference. They’ve got to make the basket. They’ve got to make the goal. And the only way to do that is to focus and refuse to be distracted.

Make sure your eyes are stubbornly focused on the Christ who is Lord over every distraction!

You know, I’ve come to realize just this year, in the last few days that sometimes it’s okay to be stubborn. You see, “Stubborn” is defined as “determined not to change one’s attitude or position; difficult to move.” And that’s exactly what we need to be, so stubborn in focus that we’re determined not to change our attitude or position. So stubborn, that no matter what they do or attempt to do to distract us, we will not be moved! Let this year be the year that you plant your feet and refuse to be moved by distractions (whether they come from people, places, or things). Remember, you can’t make the shot if you keep shifting your sight to look at distraction!

1 Chronicles 29:14-19 says, “…And give my son Solomon an uncluttered and FOCUSED heart so that he can obey what you command, live by your directions and counsel, and carry through with building The Temple for which I have provided.” (MSG). Today, ask God to give you an UNCLUTTERED AND FOCUSED HEART! One that keeps Him at the center and core! Not one that’s consumed with Michelle on Monday or Frank on Friday! Because they are mere distractions! I don’t care what they have to offer, what they can do, what they will do, I don’t even care what they look like! You are responsible for keeping your heart uncluttered and focused on God and what He’s assigned you to do!

Psalm 119:65-72, “…Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place, but now I’m in step with your Word. You are good, and the source of good; train me in your goodness. The godless spread lies about me, but I FOCUS my attention on what you are saying…” (MSG) Listen, I don’t care what they call you, focus on what God says about you only! They can say you’re ugly, fat, lazy, no good, less than, useless, worthless, and the like, and they are entitled to their opinion. But their opinion is not God’s! He calls you His chosen people, His priceless, cherished treasure, He calls you His own, He calls you gifted, anointed, powerful, awesome, healed, delivered, saved! He calls you ‘MINE’! And that supersedes anything anyone else has to say about you! Be like the psalmist, BUT I FOCUS MY ATTENTION ON WHAT YOU ARE SAYING!

DON’T LET THE VOICES BLUR YOUR VISION!

Matthew 6:6, “…Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The FOCUS will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” (MSG) The player getting ready to do his free throw shot focuses only on the basket. And you need to make sure that daily you are spending time with God, and God alone. Focused solely on Him! Shift your focus to place Him in clear view! Yes, there will be times when you’re surrounded by the crowds, but there must also be those scheduled moments that you don’t compromise. The moments that you PURPOSELY set aside for you and God to have some one-on-one time. The best way to maintain your focus is to always keep God in your view!

Matthew 17:17-18, “Jesus said, “What a generation! No sense of God! No FOCUS to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things?…” (MSG) Listen, you cannot serve God while serving a million other things in life. I’ve seen it far too often in churches, people wearing so many hats you can no longer see their entire body anymore. You can’t be all over the place and focused at the same time. Imagine if you’re driving down the highway and you’re trying to adjust all the mirrors, turn off the wipers, turn on the radio, change the heat, pull down the visor to get a piece of paper, yell at the kids and fix your seat belt buckle all at the same time, guess what’s about to happen?! You guessed it, CRASH! Why? Because you shifted your focus from what was most important to everything else! Learn how to get some focus to your life, your entire life, which means work, home, church, school, activities and the like. Get them all in order and place them in proper priority categories so you can get more focus to your life. You can’t see clearly when your entire life is nothing but a cluttered mess of distractions!

Mark 8:24-26, “He looked up. “I see men. They look like walking trees.” So Jesus laid hands on his eyes again. The man looked hard and realized that he had recovered perfect sight, saw everything in bright, twenty-twenty FOCUS…” (MSG) There’s nothing like taking what’s ailing you to Jesus for Him to lay His hands on it and fix and heal it. You can’t focus when you’re hurting and in pain. Meaning, yes, you have a purpose to fulfill, but when something isn’t working right in your life, don’t try to perform, just seek God. What happened to this man who had no sight, after he spend some time with Jesus? HE HAD RECOVERED PERFECT SIGHT, SAW EVERYTHING IN BRIGHT, TWENTY-TWENTY FOCUS! And the same will happen for you! Whether it’s physical, mental, emotional, financial, social, or spiritual, if it needs healing, take it to Jesus first, refocus, then get back to fulfilling your assignment!

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) I can’t imagine all that goes through the mind of a player who has to make a free throw shot, while everyone around him wants him to lose his focus and lose his aim! That’s a lot of pressure. And Abraham knew pressure. He was promised to father a child in his old age, when it was past time for them both, and yet he believed God! Whatever God has assigned you to do, you can do it, no matter your flaws and imperfections, no matter how hard or seemingly impossible. Simply focus on what God said and believe it until you see it!

Romans 15:14-16, “…I need your help in carrying out this highly FOCUSED assignment God gave me, this priestly and gospel work of serving…” (MSG) Now, the free throw shot is all on you, alone. But thank God, that’s only one small portion in the game. You need to make sure that you surround yourself with a good team so you can win the entire game, which you cannot do alone, no matter how focused and gifted you are! Make sure you have a team that’s focused just as you are, or even better! Avoid the lazy, the pessimistic, the undisciplined, the show-boats, the easily distracted! Get you a team that’s focused on God’s assignment, plan, purpose and kingdom, and get the work of serving completed!

2 Corinthians 1:12-14, “…It was God who kept us FOCUSED on him, uncompromised…” (MSG) You can’t win and compromise! You need God to keep you focused especially during those times of temptation! Because as soon as you shift your focus to the things of God, the devil will immediately show up with every distraction to take your focus from God, don’t let it happen! Stay with God so He can keep you focused and uncompromised as you complete your assignment for Him!

Ephesians 1:15-19, “I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes FOCUSED and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!” (MSG) So many say they have no idea what God has called them to do, but the Bible clearly says, “I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, YOUR EYES FOCUSED AND CLEAR, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE CLEARLY EXACTLY WHAT IT IS HE IS CALLING YOU TO DO…” You need to focus on God so you can see clearly what it is He has called you to do! Unfortunately however, far too many focus on what people say instead, ‘you sound like a preacher’; ‘you look like a dancer’…But You Can’t See Your Calling Clearly Looking to People, You Have to Focus On God!

Brothers and Sisters, let today be the day you get your focus back and not lose it again to distractions! God has called you to a great work, that can’t be accomplished while you’re unfocused! Be it people, places or things, let nothing and no one take your free throw focus off the basket! You never know, your focus just may win it for the entire team! We’re All Counting On You!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Your Guide to Eating Healthy Carbs”

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“Stepping Safely Into the Unknown”

Michelle is a good friend of mine from my childhood. Her husband Cedric, the class clown, would drive us around when Michelle would drag me off to the mall (a place I dread because I hate shopping with my entire being!) Now, being chauffeured is wonderful, however, it’s the mode of transportation that was a bit much for me. Cedric’s baby, besides his wife and son Dante, was his RV. Now I’m five feet two inches which means I had to get used to this RV thing. Truthfully, some of these RV’s are like entire civilizations on wheels. They’re like living in multiple zip codes everywhere you go! The challenge for me was the distance from the RV to the ground. I think that there may have been a mix-up at the Creator’s factory and some NBA player got part of my legs. All I know is it looked like a long way to the ground for Ms. Vertically Challenged. But the RV did have this one cool feature that made my day. As I stepped out, a step automatically came up under my dangling foot and helped me land safely every time!  

With that said, many times in my life, God has led me to do something that literally meant stepping out totally by faith. I couldn’t see where the money was going to come from, or the people, or the solution. The Apostle Paul called it “going not knowing” (Acts 20:22, “And now, you see, I am going to Jerusalem, bound by the [Holy] Spirit and obligated and compelled by the [convictions of my own] spirit, NOT KNOWING WHAT WILL BEFALL ME THERE—” AMPC).

All through the Bible, from Abraham leaving everything he knew (Hebrews 11:8, “[Urged on] by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although HE DID NOT KNOW OR TROUBLE HIS MIND ABOUT WHERE HE WAS TO GO.” AMPC), to Peter stepping out of a boat to walk on water (Matthew 14:29, “He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and WALKED ON THE WATER, and he came toward Jesus.” AMPC), God’s plan has repeatedly required stepping into the unknown. You might be at one of those “going not knowing” moments right now, and if this is speaking to you, keep listening.  

Here, in twelve simple words, is why you can risk taking that step. It is God’s guarantee, from the God who’s never broken a promise. That promise is recorded in 1 Thessalonians 5:24, “The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” The Amplified Bible reads like this: “Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and HE WILL ALSO DO IT [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].” (AMPC) That’s all you need to know. God’s not going to leave you stranded in the middle of His will. What He calls you to do, He’ll enable you to do. 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); Philippians 4:13, “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME.” (KJV) What He leads you to do, He will provide for you to do. He’s your security. Not a paycheck. Not people you’ve depended on. Not your safe little nest. Not your abilities. It’s like Peter, it’s not the water that’s going to support you, IT’S JESUS!

The God who calls you to step into the unknown will bring His support underneath you as you step. Not before you step…AS YOU STEP. You have His word on it! Deuteronomy 33:27 guarantees that “the eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” The Amplified Bible reads like this: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” (AMPC)

Make sure you pay attention to that Scripture: “…UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS…” Your Father has His everlasting arms underneath you, therefore you should hold the utmost confidence in knowing that there is absolutely nothing that you should ever fear to step into! Stop fearing the business venture; stop being scared of the new job opportunities; stop running every time a risk appears. God’s strong and everlasting arms are underneath you, so give your feet some faith and step into the unknown, you will land safely!

Embrace this new season of “risky obedience!” It may not make sense; it may not be anything you’ve ever done before or seen anyone else do before; it may push you out of your comfort zone; it may bring new critics out the wood-works; you may be laughed at, judged or even talked about, and still I say if God said you can do it, then step out there and do it! 1 Samuel 15:22, “Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in OBEYING THE VOICE OF THE LORD? Behold, to OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (AMPC) I reiterate, if God say’s “COME” leave everybody else in the boat and GO!

You see the crazy thing about Peter is, he’s getting ready to step out of a boat and walk on water. But Nobody Walks On Water! Yet, when Jesus said ‘Come’, he went, and so should you! Yes, water is fluid and unstable, and there’s nothing beneath it holding it up, but there is something beneath you holding you up, remember, it’s YOUR FATHER’S EVERLASTING ARMS! It’s risky, but when you’re taking the risk with Jesus, there’s really no risk at all! Therefore, make sure you hear and heed God’s voice; follow His plan; fulfill His purpose; stay in His will and do what the Lord has called you to do!

God has given His word that He will “equip you with everything good for doing His will” (Hebrews 13:21) The Amplified Bible says it like this: “STRENGTHEN (COMPLETE, PERFECT) AND MAKE YOU WHAT YOU OUGHT TO BE AND EQUIP YOU WITH EVERYTHING GOOD THAT YOU MAY CARRY OUT HIS WILL; [WHILE HE HIMSELF] WORKS IN YOU AND ACCOMPLISHES THAT WHICH IS PLEASING IN HIS SIGHT, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST (THE MESSIAH); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it).” (AMPC) God’s Word also encourages you with these words: “my God will SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). The Amplified Bible says it like this: “And my God will LIBERALLY SUPPLY (FILL TO THE FULL) YOUR EVERY NEED according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (AMPC) So what is it that you’re worrying about?

See, just like Cedric’s RV, the support doesn’t come UNTIL you take the step. Because, in God’s words again, “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). The Amplified Bible reads: “But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].” (AMPC) This will be the year that you will have to stretch, strengthen and upgrade your faith! You cannot allow another year to go by and you’re still hiding in fear as opposed to walking by faith and fulfilling what God has called you to do and to become who God called you to be.

What are you forfeiting by standing still and stagnant? What are you missing out on? And do you really want to keep missing out on it?

Listen, let this be the year you finally stop fearing that the business or ministry will fail and instead walk by faith knowing that God’s everlasting arms are underneath your every step!

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

Isaiah 46:4, “Even to your old age I am He, and even to hair white with age WILL I CARRY YOU. I have made, and I will bear; yes, I WILL CARRY AND WILL SAVE YOU.” (AMPC)

Joshua 1:5, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I WILL BE WITH YOU; I WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR FORSAKE YOU.” (AMPC)

2 Corinthians 6:16, “What agreement [can there be between] a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as GOD SAID, I WILL DWELL IN AND WITH AND AMONG THEM AND WILL WALK IN AND WITH AND AMONG THEM, AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.” (AMPC)

Genesis 28:13, 15, “And behold, the Lord stood over and beside him and said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father [forefather] and the God of Isaac; I will give to you and to your descendants the land on which you are lying…And behold, I AM WITH YOU AND WILL KEEP (WATCH OVER YOU WITH CARE, TAKE NOTICE OF) YOU WHEREVER YOU MAY GO, AND I WILL BRING YOU BACK TO THIS LAND; FOR I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU UNTIL I HAVE DONE ALL OF WHICH I HAVE TOLD YOU.” (AMPC)

Deuteronomy 31:8, “IT IS THE LORD WHO GOES BEFORE YOU; HE WILL [MARCH] WITH YOU; HE WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR LET YOU GO OR FORSAKE YOU; [let there be no cowardice or flinching, but] fear not, neither become broken [in spirit—depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm].” (AMPC)

Isaiah 41:13, “For I the Lord your God HOLD YOUR RIGHT HAND; I AM THE LORD, WHO SAYS TO YOU, FEAR NOT; I WILL HELP YOU!” (AMPC)

You can step out into the unknown because your God who knows all things has already made every provision for your every step. You my friend have absolutely nothing and no one to fear. So, don’t you dare allow another opportunity to slip through your fingers because you’re too scared to move your feet! Remember, I’m only five feet two inches tall, so getting out of any truck is a bit scary for me. However, once I realized after the first time that before my feet hit the ground that little automatic step popped right out, right on time to steady my footing, I felt safe. And God’s everlasting arms underneath you are even more secure and guaranteed than that!

What you should always keep in mind is that God keeps his everlasting arms underneath you, but He also orders your steps! So even when you have no idea of where God has you going, just trust Him and keep stepping. Psalm 37:23, “The STEPS of a good man are ORDERED by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” (KJV) One of the definitions for the word ‘ordered’ is defined as ‘to command to go or come to a specified place” This is why you can step into the unknown, because God orders your steps and those steps are His commands telling you to go and come to specified places. God knows exactly where you are to go and He will lead you right into purpose and destiny. Every step that’s ordered is to a specified place. And ‘specified’ is defined as ‘clearly and detailed’. People of God, your Father does not play games with our lives or our futures. When He orders our steps, they are clear and detailed, even if not to us, they are to Him. He is not playing a guessing game with His children. Therefore, no more fear, this will be your faith year! The year where you assign faith to your feet and you start stepping out of your comfort zone and into the unknown, where God knows all things. You will step and land safely every time. But you’ve got to grow, mature and develop into a child of God who trusts their Father, even in the unfamiliar, uncommon, uncomfortable and unknown!

Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.” (AMPC)

Psalm 37:23, “The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step].” (AMPC)

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” (AMPC)

“Faith is stepping out into the unknown with nothing to guide us but a hand just beyond our grasp.” (Frederick Buechner)

“In any given moment, we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.” (Abraham Maslow)

“This moving away from comfort and security, this stepping out into what is unknown, uncharted and shaky – that’s called liberation.” (Pema Chodron)

“When you have come to the edge of all the light you have and step into the darkness of the unknown, believe that one of the two will happen to you: either you’ll find something solid to stand on or you’ll be taught how to fly.” (Richard Bach)

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” (George Addair)

“Unless we take that first step into the unknown, we will never know our own potential.” (Allan Rufus)

“Growth only comes from adversity and from challenge – from stepping away from what’s comfortable and familiar and stepping out into the unknown” (Ben Saunders)

“A journey to the unknown shores needs a port, a ship, a wind; but more important than all of them: Courage. Courage to leave the known for the unknown.” (Author Unknown)

“Each time you try something for the first time you will grow – a little piece of the fear of the unknown is removed and replaced with a sense of empowerment.” (Annette White)

“There are times when we have to step into the darkness in faith, confident that God will place solid ground beneath our feet once we do.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

“Until you step into the unknown, you don’t know what you’re made of.” (Roy T. Bennett)

“Do not ask God to guide your footsteps if you’re not willing to move your feet” (Sean Patrick Flanery)

“God’s plan may not take you in the direction you were expecting, but God wants you on a right path that leads to joy, peace and blessing.” (Author Unknown)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “15 Things You Can Do For Your Health Today”

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“Watch What You Ask For, You Just May Get It!”

Genesis 16:1-2, “Sarai, Abram’s wife, hadn’t yet produced a child. She had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “God has not seen fit to let me have a child. Sleep with my maid. MAYBE I CAN GET A FAMILY FROM HER.” ABRAM AGREED TO DO WHAT SARAI SAID.” (MSG)

I am by far no expert in regards to airplanes, flying or pilots! But as comical as it may sound, I did have the opportunity to speak for a pilot safety program. Now, truth be told, you really wouldn’t want to fly in a plane that I taught anyone about! Why? Because I don’t know the first thing about it! However, I was invited because of a devotional I wrote called “Soaring Through Stress“, where I used the analogy of pilots dealing with turbulence, and the stress that comes as a result from it. And in case you didn’t know, stress is a real issue for pilots, so they kind of sneaked me in for one of the programs, under the radar.

Two of the safety directors took me to lunch one day to brief me on what to expect. In the process, one of them told me that over 80% of the crashes that involve private pilots are because of Pilot Error. Then he told me about a disease that has killed many pilots (and many passengers as well). He called it “get-there-itis.” Meaning: “I’ve just got to get there!” Kind of a “By Any Means Necessary“, motto! But this becomes a problem because they don’t adequately evaluate the weather, or the plane, or their own personal condition. Instead they make a short-sighted choice that often leads to disastrous consequences for All! However, you don’t have to be a pilot to be in danger of catching the “get-there-itis” disease.

Now, there’s a biblical case of “get-there-itis” in Genesis 15:4. God made this awesome promise to Abram, “Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man [Eliezer] will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.” (AMP) Well, needless to say, a lot of years passed; Abram had a lot of birthdays, and so did Sarai. But…the promised baby had none, because it didn’t come. And what happens to many of us when God makes us a promise, but too much time has elapsed (at least in our own opinion), and it’s still not fulfilled? You guessed it, there’s panic and planning! And it was no different for Sarai.

So, on to our text in chapter 16. “Sarai, Abram’s wife, hadn’t yet produced a child. She had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “God has not seen fit to let me have a child. Sleep with my maid. MAYBE I CAN GET A FAMILY FROM HER.” Abram agreed to do what SARAI SAID.” (MSG)

And as they say, “The rest is history.”

Here was a decision that did bring about a son, but it was the wrong son. A problem, instead of the promise. Ishmael by name. What happened to the promised child, you ask? Well, thirteen years later Isaac would come; you know, the one that God had promised, not the one Sarai was determined to produce of her own accord! And boy did she get what she asked for! But this decision to try to make it happen brought terrible conflict in Abraham’s family and, honestly, even to our world all these thousands of years later as the descendants of Ishmael, the Arabs, and the descendants of Isaac, the Jews, continue to fight it out!

Now, look, Abram and Sarai had a worthy goal, the one God had promised, a family, but God was taking longer than Sarai expected. So Sarai sinned the sin of “get-there-itis.” She made a disastrous choice because she had to get there, by any means necessary. She just had to get what she was asking for! Well, before you judge her too harshly, maybe you could look back on some of the choices that you’ve made in your past and see that you’re not so different from Sarai. I know for a fact, I’m certainly no different.

Let’s be honest, there were some moments you couldn’t wait, so you just took off, and you caused a crash. Or maybe you’re about to sin a sin of “get-there-itis” today! And maybe it’s even a good goal. Maybe it’s something you want to accomplish for yourself, your family, business, ministry or church. Maybe you want to get married, or something to help your child, or to help other people. BUT, God hasn’t made it come to pass. So, you’re starting to push, to plan, to scheme, to arrange, to manipulate to make it happen.

And truthfully, I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve sat across from someone in counseling who has that very same testimony…’If only I just waited on God.’ How many marriages wouldn’t have fallen apart; ministries and churches split; homes foreclosed; businesses shut down; finances dry up, and all because we just had to make it happen, by any means necessary, instead of waiting for God to make it happen, in His time, in His will, in His way.

However, unfortunate for us, we preferred to travel down the harder road of trying to “help” God out. We start formulating plan ‘b-z’ since God’s plan ‘a’ is taking entirely too long! We start scheming and scamming only to get what we wanted, but not at all what we needed!

I like Warren Wiersbe’s definition of faith. He said, “Faith is the absence of scheming.” In other words Sarai, stop trying to pull a Hagar; which is nothing more than a tragic hurry-up of God’s plans.

And the sad part of it all is that God had already promised them a son, the plan was already in the works. They only needed to trust God, walk by faith and wait. And people of God, we’re no different. There are some things that God has promised us, but we’re getting antsy now. It’s been 5 years since the promise of a child; 10 years since the promise of a spouse; 15 years since the promise of a ministry, and now we feel the need to “help” Heaven and the Hand of God (as if that were ever needed or possible!)

And one of the things I don’t think we take into account when attempting to “help” God out, is all the pain that comes from the process of trying to produce something before its time. Abram and Sarai’s marriage relationship is strained; Sarai and Hagar’s relationship is strained; Sarai gets lost in her emotions and acts out on the person she drafted into her plans in the first place; Hagar is not even consulted, she’s simply commanded to sleep with old man Abram and produce a child she wouldn’t be able to claim as her own; Abram is battling with 2 women and a kid on the way; and then when the kid gets here, Sarai is mad, Hagar is sent away…it’s just a mess! And all because Ms. Sarai couldn’t wait on God, His will or way, she just had to get what she asked for!

Anything you do outside of the timing of God you will pay a pretty steep penny for! And not only that, but so will all those you draft into your madness! Think about it, when’s the last time you heard of a pilot crashing a plane full of people and he was the ONLY ONE to die?! People attached to you suffer from your choices and consequences!

Many of us are accustomed to having a back-up plan. We’re depended upon to figure stuff out, to make it work, to fill in the gap, to strategize how to rob Peter to pay Paul. But all of that, is all of us, and none of God. You see, it’s not like Sarai was hoping for a promise, the promise was already given, she didn’t even have to ask for it, it was given without the need of her request. All she had to do was wait on the timing of God for its fulfillment. And saints, that’s exactly where we get it wrong! We have a tendency to get impatient, devise a plan and go wandering instead of waiting. But what does the Bible have to say?

Habakkuk 2:2-3, “And then God answered: “Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. 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) Listen: Your promise does not need you trying to clock its’ arrival time! God has already appointed its’ arrival time, you’re just frustrated because God didn’t give you the ETA on your promises arrival. But it doesn’t need to be put on your agenda! All you have to do is trust God and WAIT! And the part I love about that Scripture is, “…IT CAN HARDLY WAIT!…” People of God, what God has promised you is so excited to get to you that it can hardly wait, but what happens when you can hardly wait, and so you involve yourself where God didn’t need your assistance and now your Promise is on Pause!

And what happens next?

Genesis 16:3-6, “So SARAI, Abram’s wife, took her Egyptian maid Hagar AND GAVE HER TO HER HUSBAND ABRAM AS A WIFE. Abram had been living ten years in Canaan when this took place. He slept with Hagar and she got pregnant. When Hagar learned she was pregnant, she looked down on her mistress. Sarai told Abram, “IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT that I’m suffering this abuse. I PUT MY MAID IN BED WITH YOU and the minute she knows she’s pregnant, she treats me like I’m nothing. May God decide which of us is right.”“You decide,” said Abram. “Your maid is your business.” Sarai was abusive to Hagar and Hagar ran away.” (MSG)

I find it absolutely amazing that Sarai gave her husband to another woman to bed and wife, and yet her response to her own devised plan is: “…IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT…” Sounds a lot like another portion of Scripture involving Adam and Eve: “GOD, IT’S THE WOMAN YOU GAVE ME!” Or maybe another example found in King Saul, “IT WAS THE PEOPLE’S FAULT I MADE THE SACRIFICE!” Or maybe Pilate? “I KNOW JESUS IS INNOCENT, BUT I’LL GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT AND WASH MY HANDS OF IT ALL!” In other words, when things go as we Asked, but not as we Wanted, the Blame Game Begins and the Finger Pointing Starts! But that’s often what we do, when the back-up plans, THAT WE MADE FOR GOD, don’t work out, it’s everyone else’s fault, but our own of course! And all of this could’ve been prevented if only Sarai WAITED ON GOD! But there’s no need to get mad now! This was your genius plan, this was your proposal, this was your idea! You picked the plan and the woman and gave them the blueprint to follow in building you a son, and yet, this is his fault?! No dear, you needed to wait on God, because He already made you a promise, your problem came about because of your own impatience and plans!

Now, let’s be fair Abram, because you indeed had a hand in this mess too! Remember what God told you Abram: Genesis 15:4-6, “Then God’s Message came: “Don’t worry, he won’t be your heir; A SON FROM YOUR BODY WILL BE YOUR HEIR.”Then he took him outside and said, “Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A BIG FAMILY, ABRAM!”AND HE BELIEVED! BELIEVED GOD! God declared him “Set-Right-with-God.” (MSG) Abram, God gave you the promise of not only a son from your own body, but also that you would have a big family. It concludes that you believed God…so what happened?! If you believed Him at the time He gave the promise, why would you lose sight of the promise in the meantime? All you both needed to do was wait and trust God, but as my mom would say, ‘that was too much like right’!

People of God, don’t make the mistake of attempting to rush God or help God out! He knows what He’s doing. He knows what He promised you. He knows the perfect time to bring it to pass. Don’t pull a Sarai and come up with a back-up plan, and don’t pull an Abram, receiving a promise, believing the promise and then agreeing with your wife to do the polar opposite of the promise!

Don’t mess up God’s Promise over your life by attempting to Produce a Harvest from a Seed God never told you to Plant!

Truth is, this Winter we had a 70 degree day. But did that mean the Season changed and now it’s suddenly Spring? NO! The Seasons are Pre-Scheduled to Change at Their Appointed Time, And So Are the Seasons in Your Life! You Can’t Rush It, But You Can Surely Ruin It! Therefore, Always Wait For God’s Due Season!

Please hear me loud and clear, this is our Word of Warning Today: WAIT! And even if it’s slow in coming, still WAIT! Why? Because it’s on its way! It will come right on time and will not lie! People of God, remember this: We have absolutely NO reason not to trust God to keep His Word!

Isaiah 55:8-11, “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, SO WILL THE WORDS THAT COME OUT OF MY MOUTH NOT COME BACK EMPTY-HANDED. THEY’LL DO THE WORK I SENT THEM TO DO, THEY’LL COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT I GAVE THEM.” (MSG)

Not one ounce of doubt is listed in that Scripture! God is not saying His Words ‘may, hopefully, might, let’s wait and see’, if it comes to pass. NO! He says THEY’LL DO THE WORK I SENT THEM TO DO! Listen: You’ll stop having to work over-time on all your back-up plans as soon as you embrace the fact that God’s promises have no other choice but to complete the assignment they’ve been given over your life! They go to work so you don’t have to! All you have to do is WAIT! God Started It And God Will Finish It!

Philippians 1:6, “THERE HAS NEVER BEEN THE SLIGHTEST DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THE GOD WHO STARTED THIS GREAT WORK IN YOU WOULD KEEP AT IT AND BRING IT TO A FLOURISHING FINISH ON THE VERY DAY CHRIST JESUS APPEARS.” (MSG) Can you imagine having such a Word of Promise over your life that it can’t fail, can’t stop, can’t be blocked, can’t be left undone, but has to come to pass, and not just while you’re still on earth, but even up until the day of Christ Coming! In case you ever doubted it, please believe me when I tell you sons and daughters of God, your Father loves you! You don’t have to strategize, plan, scheme, manipulate, or devise a back-up plan to bring God’s promise to pass in your life, it’s guaranteed that it’s coming to pass because God Himself has already held Himself accountable to make sure it does, and He can’t lie!

Jeremiah 1:12:

“…I am [actively] watching over My Word to FULFILL IT.” (AMP);

“…I am alert and active, watching over My Word to PERFORM IT.” (AMPC);

“…I’m watching over My Word until it is FULFILLED.” (CEB);

“…I ALWAYS rise early to keep a promise.” (CEV);

“…I am watching to make sure that My Message to you COMES TRUE.” (ERV);

“…I am watching to make sure that My Words COME TRUE.” (GWT);

“…I’ll make EVERY WORD I give you COME TRUE.” (MSG);

“…I am watching to see that My Word is FULFILLED.” (NIV);

“I am watching to see that My Word is COMPLETED.” (NLV)

Are You Getting This?! This is how strongly God feels about the Keeping of His Word! Which should further encourage us to trust whatever His plans are for our lives. Because He will Make Sure that His Word Given to Us, to Fulfill His Purpose, Comes to Pass! In Other Words, God Doesn’t Need Your Help to Produce What He Promised!

Numbers 23:19, “God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change His mind. GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES.” (CEV)              

So, when you feel like God’s promises are dragging their feet, dig your heels in faith a little deeper and remember GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES! There is no need for you to try and pull out a Hagar, Sarai, just trust the God you serve and you’ll eventually see what HE SAID!

Don’t take off just yet and don’t panic and die of terminal ‘get-there-itis.’” Remember in the opening story, 80% of the crashes, were PILOT ERROR, the hurry to get there before time! Don’t let this happen to you, your family, your business, your education, your employment, your career, your ministry, your church! God has a foolproof plan, therefore your back-up plan is not needed! The term “foolproof plan” is defined as: “done, made, or planned so well that nothing can go wrong; no opportunity for error, misuse or failure; designed so as to be impervious to human incompetence; infallible; guaranteed; certain; safe; never-failing; sure-fire; unbreakable; incapable of going wrong.” Now does any of that sound like it needs a back-up plan? Absolutely Not! God’s Plan Will Prevail and Produce What He Promised!

Jeremiah 29:10-11, “…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.” (MSG)

In other words, Sarai, MY Plan Doesn’t Need YOURS! And Saints, He Doesn’t Need OURS Either!

Therefore, how about today we deliberately choose to leave this in God’s hands? Let Him bring it to pass in His time. You’ll have a great flight if you do. But if you force it, you’ll crash it. And that goes for everything. Don’t try to force a friendship, relationship, career, schooling, children, marriage, ministry, business, church or anything else. Just trust God and plant in seed-time and watch how greatly you reap in harvest.

But even farmers will tell you, no matter how great the harvest, you still have to WAIT for it! And no matter how great the promise and plans are, you still have to WAIT for them. God has not forgotten, be patient and WAIT for what God promised so you don’t have to suffer from what you produced!

In a Nutshell: Don’t Wander, Just Wait!

Remember: Be Careful What You Ask For, Because You Just May Get It! Impatience Produced Ishmael; Promise Produced Isaac…Therefore, WAIT!  

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Becoming a Vegetarian”

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“Two Keys That Unlock EVERYTHING!”

Genesis 9:1-3, “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fertile, multiply, and fill the earth. All of the animals on the earth will fear you and dread you – all the birds in the skies, everything crawling on the ground, and all of the sea’s fish. They are in your power. Everything that lives and moves will be your food. Just as I gave you the green grasses, I NOW GIVE YOU EVERYTHING” (CEB).

If you want to get what Noah got, observe two things about his life that will teach you how to unlock God’s EVERYTHING for you:

KEY #1: HE HONORED GOD: “By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.” (Hebrews 11:7 MSG). Noah had NEVER seen rain, nor had anyone else! In addition, Noah lived a hundred miles from the nearest ocean! Therefore, even if he could learn to build an ark, how would he get it to the water?! And how about rounding up all those animals? UGH! Listen: Growing up we always had dogs, but we only had one at a time! And even with just One Dog, trying to get him in the house or in the yard sometimes was an all-day event! So, I can’t even wrap my brain around what Noah had to do! Truthfully speaking, if it was me, I would’ve been sitting there in full negotiation mode with God…Seriously! Listen God, I’ll get the animals, but can I just get “some animals?” I mean do I necessarily have to get “Specific Kinds“ of animals, and to add more burden to my back, do I really have to also pair them up?! God this really sounds like unnecessary excess…don’t You think?! See, that’s why I’m Shermaine and HE WAS NOAH! And before You think this was just a small assignment, listen to Noah’s task: “I’m going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction. “But I’m going to establish a covenant with you: You’ll board the ship, and your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives will come on board with you. You are also to take two of each living creature, a male and a female, on board the ship, to preserve their lives with you: two of every species of bird, mammal, and reptile – two of EVERYTHING so as to preserve their lives along with yours. Also get all the FOOD you’ll need and store it up for you AND THEM.” (Genesis 6:17-21 MSG) Okay, did you catch all of that?! First off, that’s a lot of relatives to gather in the first place! Laugh if you will, but have you seen the chaos that breaks out when we have to get families together for an event?! Lord have mercy! I promise you I would’ve boarded that ark leaving behind at least 2 siblings, 4 cousins, 6 nieces and nephews 8 aunts and uncles, and 10 in laws…not to mention a spouse and at least 1 kid! Judge me all you like! I Promise You I Would Not Have Made Out As Good As Noah! And then if that wasn’t enough, God tells him to be Specific, “Get Two of Everything”…Seriously God, Two of EVERYTHING?! And then you have to look at the animals carefully, because you have to make sure you have a “male and female“, I would’ve certainly been upset if I had to be the one to check for that in each animal! In my Kevin Hart voice, “PINEAPPLES!” But then God goes even further to make sure he got two of “Every Species“! What?! Do you know how many “Species” of “Each Animal” That Is?! And then to add insult to injury, I now have to get all the food that me, my relatives and ALL the animals will need to sustain us for this entire journey! Me and my husband are empty nester’s now. All six of our children are adults and all live on their own. So, grocery shopping has changed dramatically over the years since it’s now only food shopping for the two of us. And even with that small task, there are still times I dread having to go to the supermarket for just two people! And yet, Noah honored and obeyed God’s instructions and went food shopping for all his relatives, himself and all the animals! Let’s just say I don’t think me and God would’ve been on the best of speaking terms after that supermarket shopping ordeal! However, Noah, with all that his task required of him, HONORED GOD! Even though for a hundred and twenty years he was a complete and utter laughingstock in the land! Noah, yet Honored God! And because he Honored God, God Honored Him! People of God, I know this was somewhat comical, but truth is, that is my prayer for you! That you will live as People of God, Who Honor Their God, No Matter the Task They Receive From Their God! After all, NONE OF US will ever receive a greater and harder and sacrificially painful task as Jesus, and yet, He also honored and obeyed the Father! Isaiah 53: “Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this? The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him. He was beaten, he was tortured,but he didn’t say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. Justice miscarried, and he was led off—and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he’d never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn’t true. STILL, IT’S WHAT GOD HAD IN MIND ALL ALONG, TO CRUSH HIM WITH PAIN. THE PLAN WAS THAT HE GIVE HIMSELF AS AN OFFERING FOR SIN SO THAT HE’D SEE LIFE COME FROM IT-Life, life, and more life. And God’s PLAN will deeply prosper through him. Out of that terrible travail of soul, HE’LL SEE THAT IT’S WORTH IT AND BE GLAD HE DID IT. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many “righteous ones,”as he himself carries the burden of their sins. THEREFORE, I’LL REWARD HIM EXTRAVAGANTLY—THE BEST OF EVERYTHING, THE HIGHEST HONORS—BECAUSE HE LOOKED DEATH IN THE FACE AND DIDN’T FLINCH, BECAUSE HE EMBRACED THE COMPANY OF THE LOWEST. HE TOOK ON HIS OWN SHOULDERS THE SIN OF THE MANY, HE TOOK UP THE CAUSE OF ALL THE BLACK SHEEP.” (MSG) Church, whatever God assigns to your hands that will Preserve Your Posterity, Do It! No matter how ridiculous, no matter how silly, no matter how time consuming, no matter how painful or even life threatening, Do It! For When You Honor Your Father, Your Father Will Honor His Children! Jesus and Noah are Full Proof of This!

KEY #2: HE OBEYED GOD: “So Noah did EVERYTHING EXACTLY as God had commanded him” (Genesis 6:22 NLT). Saints, understanding can wait; Obedience Can’t! Instant Obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, there are many of God’s commandments you won’t understand until you first obey them! And is there really a blessing of grace and favor when you obey God? Sure is, listen, when Noah emerged from the ark after the flood, the Bible says this, “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fertile, multiply, and fill the earth. All of the animals on the earth will fear you and dread you – all the birds in the skies, everything crawling on the ground, and all of the sea’s fish. They are in your power. Everything that lives and moves will be your food. Just as I gave you the green grasses, I NOW GIVE YOU EVERYTHING” (Genesis 9:1-3 CEB). The first thing God does in response to Noah’s Honoring and Obeying him was to BLESS HIM! That’s your motivation! God has a blessing that is released as soon as you embrace His commandments with obedience! And what I also found to be an interesting point, the Scripture says, “God blessed Noah AND HIS SONS…” Now, if you’re anything like me (and God help you if you are), the first thing to come to mind is: “What are they being blessed for? They didn’t do anything…I did!” But God loves us so, that when we Honor and Obey Him, He Grants Us Generational Blessings That Are Poured On the Entirety of Our Posterity! The word ‘posterity’ is defined as, ‘all future generations of people.’ Its Old French origin, ‘posterite’, from Latin ‘posterus’, literally means, ‘following’. Honor and Obedience means so much to God, that He’s not satisfied to just bless US, but He blesses all of our future generations, every single seed that will follow us! That’s the best inheritance besides salvation and eternal life! When have you ever heard of a better life insurance policy?! Listen, Parents, Your Sons and Daughters Are Blessed Because Of Your Honor and Obedience! You see, With God, your reward will ALWAYS be Greater than your Obedience! So, never compromise what you’ve been called to do! Truth is, sometimes we try “Partial Obedience”: We say things like, “I’ll attend church, but won’t tithe. I’ll read my Bible, but I won’t forgive the person who hurt me”. But: “Partial Obedience”, IS FULL DISOBEDIENCE! The word “Partial” literally means “Incomplete”. Which is why I find it interesting that we always want God to Completely Bless Us While We Incompletely Obey Him! However, Our God is a God of “Completion”: The Bible says, “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” (Philippians 1:6 AMP) God Completes Us So We Can Complete What He’s Given To Us and that Can Only Be Done In Complete Obedience! The Bible says, “You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of OBEDIENCE as well as by what he believes]” (James 2:24 AMP). Your faith and belief are not enough! God is looking for your “…WORKS OF OBEDIENCE AS WELL AS BY WHAT YOU BELIEVE” Noah had a job to do for God and so do you! So get your overalls on and Put Your Obedience To Work! Why is Obedience so important? Because Jesus said simply, “If you [really] love Me, you will keep (OBEY) My commands” (John 14:15 AMP). Jesus puts the validity of our whole love relationship with Him on the line solely on the basis of our obedience! I’d say obedience means a lot to Him, wouldn’t you say the same?

Know this: God is watching you: The Bible says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. HE DELIGHTS IN EVERY DETAIL OF THEIR LIVES” (Psalm 37:23 NLT). He’s Looking At Your Life (“…In Every Detail…”) Whether It Be In Church, On the Job, In the Home, In the Streets, In Public or In Private…and He’s Expecting To See Honor and Obedience…Will He Find It In You? And guess what? If He does, you get to get what Noah got (I know, coming from an English Major…that was absolutely horrible grammar, but I love the way it sounded…lol) “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fertile, multiply, and fill the earth…everything…is in your power…I NOW GIVE YOU EVERYTHING” (Genesis 9:1-3 CEB).

That’s the blessing that’s waiting on you, your blessing to be fertile, multiply and fill the earth; the blessing of having power and dominion! Not to mention His previous blessings were awesome, but after You Honor and Obey Him, He then says, I NOW GIVE YOU EVERYTHING! What Person Do You Know, Alive Or Dead, That Would Pass Up Such a Blessing?!

People of God, Blessings Are Waiting To Be Picked Up By You, But It Can Only Be Claimed By Those Who Honor and Obey God…So Do You Have a Valid Ticket?

Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found FAVOR and GRACE in the eyes of the Lord.” (AMP); “But Noah was different. GOD LIKED WHAT HE SAW IN NOAH.” (MSG); “But NOAH PLEASED THE LORD.” (NCV); But as for Noah, THE LORD APPROVED OF HIM.” (CEB)

Saints, once God likes what He sees in you, and you’re found to be pleasing to the Lord and receive His approval, like Noah, you’ll have the opportunity to hear God say, “…I NOW GIVE YOU EVERYTHING” (Genesis 9:3 CEB).

Never Forget: The Keys of Honor and Obedience Unlock the Blessings of God! So, are the Keys in Your Hands, or Have Your Dishonor and Disobedience Caused You to Forfeit All the Access of Heaven’s Resources?!

“When you honor God, He will do in a fraction of the time what should have taken you a lifetime to accomplish.” (Joel Osteen)

“When you honor God, when you’re faithful, you’re not going to have to go find blessings, blessings are going to find you.” (Joel Osteen)

“Man’s greatest honor and privilege is to do the Will of God.” (Zac Poonen)

“We do not segment our lives; giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.” (R.C. Sproul)

“When you honor God, the storms may come, but you have a promise that others don’t have, when it’s all said and done, you’ll still be standing. You may suffer a setback, but don’t get discouraged. If you’ll stay in faith, God promises that when the smoke clears, when the dust settles, you won’t be the victim, you’ll be the victor.” (Joel Osteen)

“You need to know that you can’t honor God when you’re chained to the voice and opinions of man.” (Tyler Perry)

“We honor God by asking for great things when they are a part of His promise. We dishonor Him and cheat ourselves when we ask for molehills where He has offered mountains.” (Vance Havner)

“Keep your honor code between you and God, you don’t break that, no matter who’s not looking. God is.” (Caroline Myss)

“We reverence God and we hallow God’s name when our life is such that it brings honor to God and attracts others to Him.” (William Barclay)

“If you be faithful, you will have that honor that comes from God: His Spirit will say in your hearts, Well done, good and faithful servants.” (Adam Clarke)

“Be obedient even when you do not know where obedience may lead you.” (Sinclair Ferguson)

“Don’t obey God to get things, obey God to get God.” (Tim Keller)

“Obedience is not the mark of a slave; it is one of the prime qualities of leadership.” (Author Unknown)

“Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.” (Charles F. Stanley)

“You cannot obey God without your obedience spilling out in a blessing to all those around you.” (Adrian Rogers)

“Obedience is an act of faith; disobedience is the result of unbelief.” (Edwin Louis Cole)

“We don’t want to merely obey God: we need to catch His heart. It is then we will glimpse the wisdom behind His directives, and not just see them as laws.” (John Bevere)

“The Bible is full of ordinary people who went to impossible places and did wondrous things simply because they decided to obey God.” (Andrew van der Bijl)

“Faith means obeying God even when all my questions aren’t answered.” (Renee Swope)

“When we love the Lord, obedience ceases to be a burden. Obedience becomes a delight.” (Joseph B. Wirthlin)

“I could not comprehend God’s plan, but my understanding was not essential. My obedience was.” (Alice Gray)

“People will try to dissuade you from obeying God. Your obedience to Him highlights their disobedience. Don’t be distracted by their opinions. Be determined to keep your stance to obey God no matter what people say.” (Jacqueline McCullough)

“Why is being a servant such an important aspect of faith? It’s simple. If you cannot obey and serve someone you can see, will you really be able to obey and serve God whom you cannot?” (Paul B. Heidt)

“You can’t live outside the manual of your manufacturer and perform the function He created you for. God’s Word is His manual; obey and take the lead.” (Author Unknown)

“If I obey Jesus Christ, the redemption of God will flow through me to the lives of others, because behind the deed of obedience is the reality of Almighty God.” (Oswald Chambers)

“However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. We can do that by deciding now to be more quick to obey and more determined to endure. Learning to start early and to be steady are the keys to spiritual preparation. Procrastination and inconsistency are its mortal enemies.” (Henry B. Eyring)

“The great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life.” (Henry B. Eyring)

“It is the easiest thing in the world to obey God when He commands us to do what we like, and to trust Him when the path is all sunshine. The real victory of faith is to trust God in the dark, and through the dark.” (Theodore L. Cuyler)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “This Healthy Diet Plan Will Jumpstart Your Weight Loss Goals, According to a Nutritionist”

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