“THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT”

Philippians 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the SECRET OF BEING CONTENT in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” {NIV}

Believe it or not, but sometimes Contentment has 3 Simple Secrets:

1…LEARNING TO BE HAPPY WITH LESS: A hard-charging executive decided to spend a few days in a monastery. “I hope your stay is a blessed one,” said the monk who showed him to his cell. “If you need anything let us know. We’ll teach you how to live without it.” As comical as that sounds, happiness isn’t getting what you want, IT’S ENJOYING WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY GIVEN YOU! Paul said he had learned to be content, “…whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13 NIV). The Message Bible says it like this: “…Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite CONTENT whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.” (vss. 10-14 MSG) Could you imagine what life would be like for so many of us if we embraced Paul’s mindset on contentment? He says, “…Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally…” How befitting, since in just a few more verses he would say: “And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) YOUR EVERY NEED according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 AMPC) Paul already knew WHO handled his needs, so he had no sense of needing anything personally. Just imagine how stress free we would be if our faith in God stretched that far? And how can we get our faith to stretch as far as Paul’s did? Just look at the earlier verses in that same chapter! Philippians 4:6-9, “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, LETTING GOD KNOW YOUR CONCERNS. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. IT’S WONDERFUL WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHRIST DISPLACES WORRY AT THE CENTER OF YOUR LIFE. Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (MSG) Paul lets us know that we have to alter our mindset! Too often we try to figure it all out while God is saying, just tell Me, and I’ll handle it, you don’t have to make futile attempts at figuring it all out on your own! Proverbs 3:5-12, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; DON’T TRY TO FIGURE OUT EVERYTHING ON YOUR OWN. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. DON’T ASSUME THAT YOU KNOW IT ALL. RUN TO GOD…” (MSG); Jeremiah 33:3, “…CALL TO ME AND I WILL ANSWER YOU. I’LL TELL YOU MARVELOUS AND WONDROUS THINGS THAT YOU COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT ON YOUR OWN.’” (MSG); Isaiah 65:24, “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!” (TLB). This is the reflection of Paul’s mindset and why he felt no sense of needing anything personally. He trusted God for everything, no matter what his circumstances were! Do you trust God like that? Or are you still holding pen and pad trying to come up with a solution that only God has? Paul says, “…I’ve learned by now to be quite CONTENT whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am…” This is a lesson that is vital for all of us to learn, especially during the upcoming holiday season. You see, so many are exhausting every penny of their finances to purchase gifts, forgetting about the precious gifts that we already have (that many are still praying to receive). We may want a new car, but someone is praying to just get enough coins together to get on the bus and go to work to a job that pays them little more than ‘coins’. We may want a new house, but someone is praying to get a cot at the shelter so they don’t have to sleep under the bridge, on the train, on the platform, in the park, in a cardboard box, for at least one night. We may want to dine at 5-star restaurants, when someone just wants a buttered roll from the deli, instead of the garbage can. We may want a new job, but someone is praying to get a job, ANY job. We may want a promotion, but someone is praying simply not to be laid off. We may want to lose 20 pounds, while someone is receiving dialysis, radiation, or chemotherapy and hopes to merely stay alive, regardless of their weight. Are you getting this? We have so many blessings ALREADY that we don’t appreciate and yet we’re still in high pursuit for MORE, while others are still praying through their LESS. Let’s develop Paul’s mindset on contentment and learn to be content WHATEVER OUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE, trusting that God knows best and will do His best on our behalf! John Balguy said it best, “Contentment is a pearl of great price, and whoever procures it at the expense of ten thousand desires makes a wise and a happy purchase.” Stop carrying your burdens and learn how to cast them instead! Psalm 55:22, “CAST YOUR BURDEN ON THE LORD [RELEASE IT] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail).” (AMP) True Contentment is Found in Casting, Not Carrying!

2…REMIND YOURSELF, THINGS COULD BE WORSE: Snoopy was lying on his dog house one Thanksgiving Day, mumbling about being stuck with dog food while all those humans got to be inside with the turkey and gravy. “Of course, it could have been worse,” he finally reflected, “I could have been born a turkey.” Again, as comical as it sounds, reminding yourself that the statement “IT COULD BE WORSE” can be a powerful developer of contentment! Over these last few years it has absolutely dumbfounded me how many famous and wealthy people have committed suicide. You would think with their money, cars, mansions, luxuries, star spouses, well-known brands, that they would be happy. However, they took their own lives anyway. People who have come from well-to-do families, or built legendary careers, even comics that have made their living making us laugh, were unhappy and unfulfilled behind the scenes. So many thought if I just get in that school; get that job; get that man/woman; have that baby; get married; become debt-free; get down to my desired weight; get rid of my acne and stretch marks; buy that house; drive that car, I would be happy. And yet, those same people have attained many of those things to find that their happy was never in them. I have a girlfriend that interviewed for a managerial position at a different job. The position would double her salary! She asked if I would touch and agree with her to get it. But all I would do was touch and agree that the Will of God for her life would be accomplished. She never said she loved the job, that it was a career she’d always wanted to have, she didn’t mention any benefits and perks. The only reason she would take the job offered is because of the money. Well, she got the job! That was 6 months ago, and she’s been miserable ever since. She left a job that she loved, loved her coworkers, even supervisors, managers and bosses. Didn’t mind the workload. The commute was a breeze. The pay was above decent. And yet, when she saw the dollar signs, she left her place of contentment to end up in a place of resentment. She went from working 8 hours to almost 18 including weekends and holidays. She received a new cellphone that would have to be on and accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. She began missing out on date nights with her husband, which has since strained their once happy marriage. Her children complain because she no longer can attend any of their school activities, nor is she home for dinner or available to help them with homework. Her sick mother that she used to spend every Saturday with, she hasn’t seen in 2 months. This my friends is why you have to be careful in your pursuit of MORE. Sometimes MORE is simply MORE headaches, heartaches, stress, frustration and loss. Sometimes getting what you want or getting more, can end up being worse, instead of better.  “Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.” (Author Unknown). So, appreciate all that you have NOW, even if MORE never comes. God knows what you need and what you can handle. If you trust Him, thank Him, and show Him the gratitude He deserves for all He’s already given you, you may just find a bit more peace of mind, happiness, joy and contentment! Matthew 6:30-33, “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, TO NOT BE SO PREOCCUPIED WITH GETTING, SO YOU CAN RESPOND TO GOD’S GIVING. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. YOU’LL FIND ALL YOUR EVERYDAY HUMAN CONCERNS WILL BE MET.” (MSG); 1 Peter 5:7, “SO BE CONTENT with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; HE’LL PROMOTE YOU AT THE RIGHT TIME. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.” (MSG) Things Could Always Be Worse, Make Sure You Learn to Thank God Better For What You Already Have!

3…UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT YOU SEEK IS SPIRITUAL, NOT MATERIAL: Paul says to beware of “…greed, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5 NIV). Our problem isn’t just that we want more, it’s that the condition which underlies all our wanting is that WE REALLY WANT GOD! As Augustine said, “Our souls will never rest, until they rest in Thee.” THE TRUTH IS, GOD WILL NEVER GIVE US ALL WE DESIRE TO MAKE US FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD, WHEN THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME! The Bible says: “These people all died controlled and sustained by their faith, but not having received the TANGIBLE fulfillment of [God’s] promises, only having seen it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, AND ALL THE WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING AND CONFESSING THAT THEY WERE STRANGERS AND TEMPORARY RESIDENTS AND EXILES UPON THE EARTH” (Hebrews 11:13 AMP). NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU GET OF THIS WORLD’S GOLD IT CANNOT COMPARE WITH THE GLORY OF RECEIVING GOD’S GRACE IN ALL THAT HE’S ALREADY GIVEN US! SATISFYING YOUR FLESH, WILL NEVER SATISFY YOUR SPIRIT! “FRIENDS, THIS WORLD IS NOT YOUR HOME, SO DON’T MAKE YOURSELVES COZY IN IT. DON’T INDULGE YOUR EGO AT THE EXPENSE OF YOUR SOUL. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.” (1 Peter 2:11 MSG). In short, if there’s anything we should be longing for it should be: “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10 NIV). While we’re so busy trying to attain Old Testament Deuteronomy 28:1-14 blessings, God says this to us in the New Testament: Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed and worthy of praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has BLESSED US WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS IN CHRIST.” (AMP) SAINTS, STOP CHASING STUFF, WHEN YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN GIVEN EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS IN CHRIST! Do Not Belittle What Jesus Paid So Much to Give You!

In closing: Michael Drosnin wrote a book about a man who wanted more wealth, so he built one of the biggest financial empires of his day. He wanted more pleasure, so he paid for the most glamorous women money could buy. He wanted more adventure, so he set air speed records, built and piloted the world’s most unique aircraft. He wanted more power, so he acquired political clout that was the envy of senators. He wanted more glamour, so he owned film studios and courted stars.

Then, Drosnin tells how this man’s life ended: “He was a figure of gothic power, ready for the grave. Emaciated, only 120 pounds stretched over his six-foot-four-inch frame…thin scraggly beard that reached its way onto his sunken chest, hideously long fingernails in grotesque yellow corkscrews…Many of his teeth were black, rotting stumps. A tumor was beginning to emerge from the side of his head…innumerable needle marks…Howard Hughes was an addict. A billionaire junkie.”

So here’s the question: If Hughes had pulled off one more deal, made one more million and tasted one more thrill, WOULD IT HAVE EVER BEEN ENOUGH?!

You see, the illusion of gratitude is that we will experience it more, IF WE GET MORE! NO, that’s the same as making sure a child gets everything which will eventually destroy their initiative and dull their sense of gratitude and contentment! Mark 8:34-37, “Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. WHAT GOOD WOULD IT DO TO GET EVERYTHING YOU WANT AND LOSE YOU, THE REAL YOU? WHAT COULD YOU EVER TRADE YOUR SOUL FOR?” (MSG)

 “The most valuable things in life are not measured in monetary terms. The really important things are not houses and lands, stocks and bonds, automobiles and real estate, but friendships, trust, confidence, empathy, mercy, love and faith.” (Bertrand Russell).

Don’t you find it interesting that the man who wrote, “I have learned the secret of being content” also wrote, “IN EVERY THING GIVE THANKS: FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS CONCERNING YOU” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)?

I know today’s church is all about financial prosperity, break-through’s, seasons, harvest, turn-around’s, and financial abundance, but I like God’s Prosperity a whole lot more:  “BELOVED, I WISH ABOVE ALL THINGS THAT THOU MAYEST PROSPER AND BE IN HEALTH, EVEN AS THY SOUL PROSPERETH” (3 John 1:2). Another translation puts it like this: “DEAR FRIEND, I HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH YOU AND THAT YOU ARE AS HEALTHY IN BODY AS YOU ARE STRONG IN SPIRIT” 

THEREFORE, REGARDLESS TO WHAT PULPIT PIMPS ERRONEOUSLY PROCLAIM AND FALSELY PROPHESY…CONTENTMENT, NOT CASH, IS TRUE PROSPERITY!

DON’T LOSE YOUR SPIRIT’S PEACE, CHASING FOR FLESHLY PIECES OF MATERIAL PROSPERITY!

Here’s a little hymn that will remind you to protect your contentment and peace:

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Refrain: It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul! And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.” (Horatio G. Spafford, 1873)

Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].” (AMP)

Psalm 23:1, “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need!” (TLB)

1 Timothy 6:6, “But godliness actually is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment [that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God].” (AMP) The Message Bible says it like this: “A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough.” vss. 6-8 MSG)

Let that be our goal, the one in which we set our sights on going into 2024. Whatever my lot, whatever my circumstances, whatever I have or don’t have, it is well with my soul!

Church, Embrace the Secret of Contentment, For it is to Simply Thank God For All Things and to Trust Him In All Things!

“To be content doesn’t mean you don’t desire more, it means you’re thankful for what you have and patient for what’s to come.” (Tony Gaskins)

“Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.” (Author Unknown)

“Contentment is an attitude that says, ‘I will be satisfied with what God has given me.” (Jennifer Booth)

“Contentment is the only real wealth.” (Alfred Nobel)

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” (Epicurus)

“A harvest of peace is produced from a seed of contentment.” (Proverb)

“Contentment makes a poor man rich, discontent makes a rich man poor.” (Benjamin Franklin)

“There is no end of craving. Hence contentment alone is the best way to happiness. Therefore, acquire contentment.” (Swami Sivananda)

“Fortify yourself with contentment, for this is an impregnable fortress.” (Epictetus)

“Contentment is a state of the heart, unaffected by outward circumstances.” (Crystal Paine)

“A contented heart is a calm sea in the midst of all storms.” (Author Unknown)

“Contentment is natural wealth. Luxury is artificial poverty.” (Socrates)

“Happiness comes after contentment.” (E.A. Cabaltica)

“May we never let the things we can’t have, or don’t have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have.” (Richard L. Evans)

“Contentment always eludes those who don’t count themselves blessed for what they already have.” (Author Unknown)

“Life is better if you are satisfied and happy with what you do and what you have.” (Dr. T.P. Chia)

“There is no treasure equal to contentment and no virtue equal to fortitude.” (Sarada Devi)

“Simplicity is the first cousin of contentment.” (John Stott)

“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.” (Plato)

“Contentment is the equilibrium between the enjoyment of life now and the anticipation of what is to come.” (Priscilla Shirer)

“Contentment comes not so much from great wealth as from few wants.” (Epictetus)

“Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.” (John Chrysostom)

“Contentment is not by addition but by subtraction: seeking to add a thing will not bring contentment. Instead, subtracting from your desires until you are satisfied only with Christ brings contentment.” (Jeremiah Burroughs)

“Be happy with the little that you have. There are people with nothing that still manage to smile.” (Author Unknown)

“Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.” (Og Mandino)

“Contentment, then, is the product of a heart resting in God. It is the soul’s enjoyment of that peace that passes all understanding. It is the outcome of my will being brought into subjection to the Divine Will. It is the blessed assurance that God does all things well, and is, even now, making all things work together for my ultimate good.” (Arthur W. Pink)

“Contentment with life is not a feeling, but it is a decision we must make.” (Joyce Meyer)

“He who is contented is rich.” (Lao Tzu)

“Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.” (Jeremiah Burroughs)

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

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“NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES, WAIT ON GOD!”

Micah 7:7, “BUT ME, I’M NOT GIVING UP. I’M STICKING AROUND TO SEE WHAT GOD WILL DO. I’M WAITING FOR GOD TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT. I’M COUNTING ON GOD TO LISTEN TO ME” (MSG)

I seem to vaguely remember this old nursery rhyme from when I was a kid. It went like this: “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” If you asked my niece that question, she’d probably say, “Real Slow!” And maybe that’s why Mary was so contrary! You see, last spring, my niece worked with her Dad to clear a little area in the yard where she could have a vegetable garden. She was all excited about planting seeds in the ground: tomato seeds, green beans, carrots, and lettuce. But then she went out THE NEXT DAY to look at what she had planted. What did she see? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Then the NEXT WEEK, and the next week, and the week after that. She watered the garden when it didn’t rain. Helped pull up weeds. For the longest time, she went out to that garden to see what was happening and found out…NOTHING WAS HAPPENING – OR SO IT APPEARED! NOW, HAD SHE TRIED TO DIG UP THE SEEDS TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS HAPPENING, SHE WOULD HAVE RUINED EVERYTHING! But you know the story. It finally happened: The tomatoes and beans and carrots and lettuce finally showed MANIFESTED EVIDENCE, that what LOOKED LIKE NOTHING, WAS ACTUALLY SOMETHING ALL ALONG…IT JUST TOOK TIME!

“To everything there is a season, and a TIME for every matter or purpose under heaven…He has made everything beautiful in its TIME.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 AMP);

“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.” (Habakkuk 2:3 MSG).

Listen: No Matter What It Looks Like NOW, Remember It Will Look Even Better LATER! “‘This Temple is going to END UP FAR BETTER THAN IT STARTED OUT, a glorious beginning but an even more GLORIOUS FINISH…” (Haggai 2:9 MSG) And YOU Will Enjoy the Same Awesome Testimony! You Just Have to WAIT For It! No Matter How You Started Out, You Will Have an EVEN MORE GLORIOUS FINISH! “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, PATIENCE (AN EVEN TEMPER, FORBEARANCE), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness.” (Galatians 5:22 AMP). Just Be PATIENT!

Something had been happening all along to those seeds in my nieces garden! AND SOMETHING HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALL ALONG TO THE SEEDS WE’VE PLANTED AS WELL! REMEMBER: JUST BECAUSE WE CAN’T SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING, DOESN’T MEAN HE’S NOT DOING ANYTHING! In fact, that may be something important for you to remember right now. You’ve been praying about that need, that situation, that person for a long time and it LOOKS LIKE NOTHING’S HAPPENING! But the key words to keep in mind are: LOOKS LIKE! When a seed’s been planted, it LOOKS LIKE there’s NOTHING going on for some time, until that plant breaks through and ultimately produces some wonderful fruit!

When a new life has begun in a woman’s body, it doesn’t LOOK LIKE anything’s happened for quite a while. BUT EVERY DAY, THAT LIFE IS GROWING EVEN WHEN WE CANNOT SEE ITS GROWTH, UNTIL IT FIRST RESHAPES THAT MOTHER’S BODY AND ULTIMATELY APPEARS AS THAT PRECIOUS LITTLE BABY BEING BORN! Reminds me of a quote I’ve learned to live by: “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is Patience.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). The Bible says it this way: “But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, WE WAIT FOR IT WITH PATIENCE AND COMPOSURE.” (Romans 8:25 AMP).

The problem is that when it LOOKS LIKE nothing’s happening, we tend to say, “I’ve got to do something!” AND MOST OFTEN, IT’S THE WRONG THING TO DO; MUCH LIKE DIGGING UP THE SEED TO SEE IF IT’S GROWING OR PLOWING UP THE GARDEN BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE NOTHING’S HAPPENING!

Example: In 1 Samuel 13, beginning with verse 7, we receive a sobering example of how much we have to lose when we can’t WAIT for God to do it His way! You see, Saul, Israel’s first king, has been told by God’s man Samuel, to go down ahead of him to Gilgal. Samuel assures him that he will surely come down to him to sacrifice burnt offerings…BUT Saul must WAIT seven days UNTIL Samuel comes to him and tells him what he must do. HOWEVER, with the Philistine forces massing against them, the Bible says this, “…Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.” (vss. 7-8 NIV). SAUL PANICKED, AND HE DID WHAT NO KING WAS ALLOWED BY GOD TO DO: HE OFFERED THE BURNT OFFERING HIMSELF AND HE CROSSED A SACRED LINE! The Bible says, “Just as he finished making the offering…”, (hear this), “…Samuel arrived…” (vs. 10). And Samuel asks, “What have you done?…” (vs. 11). 

Saul answers by talking about what “…I SAW”…”I THOUGHT” …” I FELT…” (vss. 11-12 NIV).

Here’s the text in full: “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I SAW that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash,  I THOUGHT, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I FELT compelled to offer the burnt offering.” (NIV)

Three of the greatest keys to blocking God’s blessing that’s trying to spring forth in your life is: YOUR EYES (“I Saw”); YOUR MIND (“I Thought”); AND YOUR EMOTIONS (“I Felt”)!

When Your Something looks like Nothing the last thing you need to do is have BLURRED VISION, IMPURE THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS AND UNCONTROLLABLE EMOTIONS!

When Your Something looks like Nothing and you’re tempted to do Something about it, Beware of the Dangers of YOUR EYES, MIND AND EMOTIONS and bring them under subjection quickly! 

Why? Look at what the Bible admonishes: 

1…CONTROL YOUR EYES: The Bible says, “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] NOT BY SIGHT OR APPEARANCE” (2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP). “But GOD told Samuel, “LOOKS AREN’T EVERYTHING. DON’T BE IMPRESSED WITH HIS LOOKS and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. GOD judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women LOOK at the face; GOD LOOKS into the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 MSG). Wisdom Nugget: DON’T LET YOUR PHYSICAL SIGHT, DESTROY YOUR SPIRITUAL VISION! 

2…CONTROL YOUR MIND: The Bible says, “But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him]. For out of the heart come EVIL THOUGHTS (reasoning’s and disputing and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech. These are what make a man unclean and defile [him]…” (Matthew 15:18-20 AMP). “Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the THOUGHTS OF THE MIND [our cravings dictated by our senses and our DARK IMAGININGS]. We were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:3  AMP). Wisdom Nugget: CHOOSING BETWEEN A REPROBATE MIND (Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient“) AND A RENEWED MIND (Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.“), WILL DETERMINE WHETHER YOU CONTINUE TO REIGN OR COME TO RUINS! Bear in MIND, THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

3…CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS: The Bible says, “A FOOL EXPRESSES ALL HIS EMOTIONS, BUT A WISE PERSON CONTROLS THEM” (Proverbs 29:11 GWT). “In the end they will be destroyed. THEIR OWN EMOTIONS ARE THEIR GOD, AND THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THE SHAMEFUL THINGS THEY DO…” (Philippians 3:19 GWT). Wisdom Nugget: FULFILLMENT COMES NOT FROM FEELING, BUT FROM FOLLOWING! Look at it like this: THE COAT OF A ROTTWEILER IS SOFT, BUT HAPHAZARDLY REACHING OUT TO FEEL IT, MIGHT RESULT IN YOUR GOING INTO YOUR FUTURE WITH A FEW LESS FINGERS! LIKEWISE, FOLLOWING YOUR FEELINGS IS JUST AS DANGEROUS! DON’T LET YOUR EMOTIONS MAIM YOU! “MAIM” MEANS: “TO WOUND OR INJURE (SOMEONE) SO THAT PART OF THE BODY IS PERMANENTLY DAMAGED!” IN A NUTSHELL: TEMPORARY EMOTIONS CAN PERMANENTLY MAIM YOU! 

Saul messed up with what he SAW, THOUGHT AND FELT, therefore, Samuel informs him, “You have done a foolish thing…You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure…because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” (vss. 13-14 NIV). SAUL FORFEITS THE MAJOR LEGACY OF HIS LIFE BECAUSE OF DISOBEDIENCE THAT DISQUALIFIED HIM; A DISOBEDIENCE THAT CAME BECAUSE HE COULDN’T WAIT FOR GOD TO DO IT HIS WAY! 

INSTEAD, HE OBEYED HIS EYES AND MISSED OUT ON SEEING HIS KINGDOM ENDURE! 

HE OBEYED HIS THOUGHTS INSTEAD OF RESPECTING THE FACT THAT GOD’S THOUGHTS ARE NOT OURS. Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Oftentimes your real sacrifice is in waiting the full seven days, and even when nothing seems to happen, even on the appointed day, WAITING, TRUSTING AND KNOWING THAT GOD DOES NOT FAIL AND DOES NOT LIE, HE WILL PERFORM IT AND I’M GOING TO CONTINUE TO SIT UNTIL HE DOES, is the best thing you could ever do!  

LASTLY, HE OBEYED HIS FEELINGS AND FORFEITED A PROMISED FUTURE! 

HOWEVER, BEFORE YOU POINT YOUR FINGERS AT HIM, KNOW THAT YOU AND I ARE PRONE TO MAKING THAT SAME KIND OF MISTAKE! Nothing seems to be happening, things are starting to fall apart, and it LOOKS LIKE we’re at the point of no return! So we take matters into our own hands and, in so doing, WE RUIN WHAT GOD WAS GOING TO DO! God is so often the God of the eleventh hour! He waits until the moment when everyone will know IT HAD TO BE HIM! He waits so our faith can stretch farther than its’ ever stretched before so He can do greater things for us than He’s ever done before!  God is working in ways we can’t see, but ultimately something beautiful will be born for all to see! 

In the words of the Psalmist: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and HE WILL DO THIS…be still before the Lord and WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM” (Psalm 37:5, 7). Let God Do It His Way and In His Timing! And no matter how long you have to wait, remember: “God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 AMP). Yes He Will!

People of God, Regardless to what you See, Think or Feel, Your Nothing Has Something…You Just Have To Wait For It! SO WAIT! The Bible Admonishes Us: “WAIT and HOPE for and EXPECT the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, WAIT for and HOPE for and EXPECT the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 AMP).

Some of the most exciting moments in sports are the touchdown or field goal that win the game, especially, when there’s no time left on the clock! That game-winning basket as the final buzzer sounds is unforgettable! The game-winning home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning is remarkable! I’ve come to find out that whatever the sport, there is nothing like a sudden victory when victory seemed out of reach! It makes the fans go absolutely ballistic! Which reminds me of a quote I love: “I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people’s accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man’s failures.” (Earl Warren). Truth be told, it can be real nerve-wracking when you’re behind and time is running out! But it’s an awesome moment when a hero pulls out an unexpected victory…at the last minute! And the longer I walk with this God of ours, the more I’ve come to appreciate Him as the God of the last-second victory, or the God of the eleventh hour, as I’ve called Him so often. The Bible reveals many names by which God wants us to know Him. One that has meant so much to so many for so long is “Jehovah-Jireh”. It means, “The Lord will provide or the Lord will see to my provision.“

You may be facing a need or situation right now where that is literally your only hope – that the Lord will provide. Maybe it’s a job, a friend, or much needed finances; maybe it’s the house, the healing, the breakthrough or soundness of mind you need. Well, if that’s the case, today you need to be reminded that we have a rock-solid promise in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (NIV). Understand that this Scripture lets us know that God’s supply has nothing to do with what’s happening in the economy, in the news, at work, or in what your limited resources can or can’t do! It’s all about His Unlimited “Glorious Riches in Christ Jesus” account in Heaven, which transcends every limitation earth can provide!

People of God, You Need NOT Attempt to Understand God or His Ways or His Timing, or His Supply. You Need Only to Remember That He Is and Will Always Be…UNLIMITED! Which is why you should never fret over your LITTLE, when you serve such a BIG God! Another quote I love says, “If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped.” (Author Unknown) And the truth of the matter is, you may never understand how God supplies rivers in the desert, but when you’re thirsty, knowing that He can and He will is Enough!  So before you allow your fears to get the best of you, remember: “The Fear of God kills all other fears!”

Now to be honest, I believe God often waits a while to meet our needs…On Purpose! Let’s look at Scripture: “A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany…the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Master, the one you love so very much is sick.” When Jesus got the message, he said, “This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son.”…Then Jesus became explicit: “LAZARUS DIED. AND I AM GLAD FOR YOUR SAKES THAT I WASN’T THERE. YOU’RE ABOUT TO BE GIVEN NEW GROUNDS FOR BELIEVING. Now let’s go to him.” (John 11:1-4, 14 MSG). So before you panic, know that God always has a reason for allowing you to sit in the waiting room! And His reason is always the same: “…it will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son…and…You’re about to be given new grounds for believing…”. Your waiting, while wounded, gives God Glory and Increases Your Faith by giving you New Grounds or New Reasons to Trust Him even at the Eleventh Hour! That’s why you can’t get discouraged because “…it’s usually the last key in the bunch that opens the lock” (Author Unknown)! So, be patient, a door of opportunity is about to open just for you…all you have to do is WAIT!

Philippians 4:19 says He promises to meet all of our needs, But He does Not promise WHEN! See, most of us already know that He can do it, and that He’s promised to do it, but if only He’d share WHEN He’s going to do it, we’d be less likely to flip out when the last grain of sand is found in the hourglass! But then that wouldn’t be considered faith, now would it?! Ramona C. Carroll said it best: “Faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch.” But unfortunately for many of us, when we get to that last grain of sand, we panic, and come up with desperate and oftentimes ridiculous ways to so-called meet our needs on our own!

Again, let’s look at Scripture: “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.’ (Genesis 16:1-2 MSG). And believe it or not, nations are still paying for that ridiculous attempt at “helping God out”! Too often we abandon our trust in God because, He’s – if we dare be honest—TAKING TOO LONG! Even the Psalmist knows what this feels like: “Please, God…Treat me nice for a change; I’m so starved for affection. Can’t you see I’m black-and-blue, beat up badly in bones and soul? GOD, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO LET UP? Break in, GOD, and break up this fight; if you love me at all, get me out of here. I’m no good to you dead, am I? I can’t sing in your choir if I’m buried in some tomb!” (6:1-5 MSG). See, you’re not the only one who wants to stamp “Federal Express” or “Overnight Delivery” on God! But such actions take us right out of the Will of God and aborts what God was going to birth on our behalf if we would’ve trusted Him enough to wait the full 9 months!  “But those who WAIT for the Lord [who EXPECT, look for, and HOPE in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” (Isaiah 40:31 AMP).

Now, it’s in Genesis 22, where we find that God is known as Jehovah-Jireh for the very first time. We can learn a lot from how He worked that day for Abraham. See, Abraham had, by faith, obeyed God’s direction to take the son God had once promised to him, climb Mt. Moriah with him, and sacrifice his son there; as God (the Father) would do Himself one day with Jesus (His Son). Believing that God will somehow provide something he can’t imagine, Abraham yet promises his servants that both he and his son Isaac will return from the mountain. Genesis 22:10 says his faith and obedience went so far that “he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” At that very LAST MOMENT, God stopped him and showed Abraham a ram, stuck in a thicket, who would be sacrificed instead of his son. And the Bible says, “So Abraham called that place, ‘The Lord Will Provide.’“ Remember: Jehovah-Jireh – often steps in right on time, which is usually—when there’s no time left! Which reminds me of a quote I love, “Faith isn’t faith until it’s all you’re holding on to.” (Author Unknown)

God loves to come through for us when there is absolutely no place else that answer could come from, and there is no time left on the clock. It’s 11:59! The buzzer is about to sound! But that’s when God shows up with His provision, at a time and in a way that will blow you away, give Him all the glory, and show people around you the greatness and faithfulness of your God! Then it’s only natural that you’ll experience a whole new level of faith in Him and worship for Him! God’s last-minute victories are some of the most awesome moments of your life! So don’t lose faith now! “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.” (Oswald Chambers). Keep in mind: The greater the need, the later the hour, the more amazing God’s work on your behalf! That’s why you need to determine to be like your sports heroes and hang in there until the end of the game! And when God steps in and grants you a last-second victory, before the last grain of sand falls in the hourglass, remember, like the sports fans, go absolutely ballistic…in praise, worship and thanksgiving!

Will the wait be easy? Absolutely not, in fact it’s one of the hardest things to do! But remembering that God watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12); remembering that God does not and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19); remembering that God keeps His Word and every promise He makes (Isaiah 55:11), certainly makes the wait a little easier! And yes, I understand that the mortgage is over-due; the tuition seems impossible to pay; the car note is about to turn into a bus pass; the doctors may as well sign your cause of death certificate; the marriage is on life-support; the job is strangling your sanity or the lack of one is strangling your empty bank account. And yet, I still say wait on God and watch Him work, even at the 11^th hour! He’s done it before, and He can and will do it again! Don’t lose heart, patience, peace, joy or faith. God sits too high to let His people down! Hold on and hang in there, before the last grain of sand falls, God will step in with a last minute miracle!

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

“All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.” (Romans 8:22-25 MSG);

“Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.” (Psalm 37:7 AMP);

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

“How we handle the journey will determine the destination.” (Billy Cox)

“When it looks like nothing is happening, God is at work.” (Bishop James R. Chambers)

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” (Joyce Meyer)

“Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on what we’re waiting for.” (Charles Stanley)

“Sometimes we don’t understand why we are waiting. Often it is because God has something great in store, it’s just not the right time.” (Joel Osteen)

“No matter how long it takes, when God works, it’s always worth the wait.” (Author Unknown)

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

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“HAPPY DEPENDENCE DAY!”

Isaiah 30:15-17, “God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: “Your salvation requires you to turn back to Me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete DEPENDENCE ON ME—The very thing you’ve been unwilling to do” (MSG)

They keep it under glass that seals out any air getting to it. When it’s not on display, it’s kept underground in a vault – actually a bombproof vault. It’s the most important document in the history of the United States. Of course, it’s the Declaration of Independence! The men who signed it that hot July 4th in Philadelphia knew it was very important, but I wonder if they could have possibly conceived what a sacred piece of paper it would become to the nation that it launched. 

Here were subjects of the English king daring to declare their Independence from their king! It changed their lives forever. It changed the world forever. And once a year, every Fourth of July, America stops to remember that Independence Day. 

For America’s Founding Fathers, it was a Declaration of Independence from their king that changed everything. For you, as a child of God, it is your Declaration of DEPENDENCE ON YOUR KING that changes everything! 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.” (MSG). And yet, we do anything but trust God in everything we do and everywhere we go. I mean can you imagine if we truly relied on God like that?! Where would we be, or better yet, where could we have avoided being, had we only trusted God in this manner, in the first place. The mistakes we never would have made; the bad relationships we would never have entered; the toxic friendships we could’ve avoided being poisoned by; the broken hearts we would have never had to spend the majority of our adulthood healing. If only we trusted God enough to allow Him to keep us on track as the Scripture says, we would have never crashed, derailed, detoured, driven off the cliff, went the wrong way, crossed lanes, or had to make countless, unnecessary U-turns in life!  

So many missteps we would never have stumbled over if only we trusted God to keep our footsteps ordered. Psalm 37:23, “The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].” (AMP) If we walked in God’s ordered steps, our path would’ve been blessed instead of burdened! So many valley’s we could’ve been rerouted around; so many mountains we would never have had to unceasingly hike around, if we allowed God to order our steps and remind us to speak to the mountain instead of allowing the mountain to silence us. If we dared to trust God, follow God, obey God, rely on God and depend on God our footing would never have had to stumble, trip, slip and fall.  Psalm 18:33, “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly and tread safely on paths of testing and trouble]; He sets me [securely] upon my high places.” (AMP) Friends, today is a good day to allow your Christian Walk to be solely directed by the Lord. After all, who else is able to keep your feet firm, safe and secure, even during times of testing and trouble?! You see when we depend on God to order our steps, we can avoid a lot of pitfalls. But then there are also those times of disobedience where we deliberately chose the wrong path to travel, and yet even in those times of well-deserved testing and trouble, God still loved us so much that He set our feet upon high places, firmly, safely and securely. Who wouldn’t depend on a God like that? A God that keeps you from falling when you deserved to be knocked down! A God who watches you discard His Word, the road map for your life, and therefore deciding to go your own way. And still, He remains in contact, waiting for the moment you ask Him for yet another U-turn! But far too often we don’t ask. Because then we’d have to be honest that we chose the path we’re on. Which means we would have to stop blaming everyone else for all the bumps in the road, the hard ground, the destination to absolutely nowhere that has anything to do with God’s purpose and plans for our lives. Yes, if we did that, it would require us to let humility take over. Which further means letting God lead instead of us, and dare we give up our independence and have such a thing happen! Saints, we have to take our hands off the wheel and let God drive, even in moments when we don’t know where He’s taking us, He hasn’t shared the map or the destination, and He most definitely does not have the GPS blaring through the speakers dropping us hints along the highway. We simply have to learn to trust God, and for many of us that’s not such an easy task to accomplish. But in order to let God drive, we have to depend on Him, trusting that He has somewhere great in mind just for us! Jeremiah 29:10-11, “This is God’s Word on the subject…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (MSG) How can we possibly struggle with trust issues with a promise like that from One who cannot lie?! How can we possibly struggle to depend on a God who has a purpose, plan and future already in place for us, that no one can hinder, but us and our need for independence from Him?! 

You know what we need? We need to Develop a Desperate Dependence on God! One in which we don’t do anything in life without consulting Him first. In other words, we don’t marry; we don’t get divorced; get a mortgage; have children; pick out a car; go away to school; open a church; start a ministry; begin a business; accept a job offer; relocate or anything else without His perfect counsel. And if we did, can you imagine the many pitfalls we would never have encountered!  

But unfortunately, when it comes to God running our lives, we’ve all declared our Independence at one time or another! Even if our theology compels us to officially trust God, we are, for the most part, “Sinatra-ites“. Yeah, you remember Frank Sinatra’s signature song, “I did it my way“! Now if that’s too out-dated for some of you, I’ll just say this is truly a Burger King generation, whether you’re right or wrong, you can still “Have it your way”! Even for us Christians, that’s often how we really live. We’ll figure this out by ourselves, we’ll find a way, we’ll make it happen, we won’t wait, we’ll find a way to get it now. We tend to depend on our own plans, our schemes, our talent, our cleverness, our persuasiveness, our hard work, our connections, even our manipulation. We’ll count on our programs or our own strength. But one of the best quotes I’ve read on this matter is by W.R. Inge, it says, “Christianity promises to make men free; it never promises to make them independent.” That’s why we need to declare our Dependence Daily! Our God desires to free us from our Sin, but not so we can claim Independence from our Savior! Galatians 5:1, “It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed].” (AMP); Romans 8:32, “And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].” (AMP); 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].” (AMP) Yes, God wants us FREE from Sin, but NOT INDEPENDENT of our SAVIOR! We are not free to do what we WANT, we are freed to do His WILL! 

In fact, Jesus makes it very clear how anything that matters in our life really happens. He said, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” In other words, the fruit of your life doesn’t come from you; it comes from Jesus, through you, like the life of the vine comes through the branch! He goes on to say, “If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me, you can do nothing.” Independent of God, You can accomplish, Nothing that matters. Nothing eternal. Nothing significant. Nothing that really works over the long haul into leaving a lasting legacy. You can do Absolutely Nothing Independent of HIM! He doesn’t say, “Without Me, you can’t do much.” He said, You Can Do NOTHING! The word ‘Nothing’ means, ‘Not anything; something of no importance or concern; nought; not at all; to no purpose; there is no prospect of success or agreement; nothing is happening.’ Now tell me, who in their right mind would want to live such a life?! Especially, since God promised, “If a man REMAINS in Me and I in him, HE WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT” The Contemporary English Version says it like this, “…you will produce LOTS of fruit…” The Amplified Bible says, “Whoever LIVES in Me and I in him bears MUCH (ABUNDANT) fruit…” And The Message Bible says, “When you’re JOINED with me and I with you…the HARVEST is sure to be ABUNDANT.” In a Nutshell: If you make sure you remain Faithful, He’ll make sure you remain Fruitful! You see, the size of your life Depends on how big your Dependency on God is, as opposed to the size of your own efforts! He says just remain in Me; live in Me; be joined to Me, and what do you reap from that relationship? Much Fruit; Lots of Fruit; Much Abundant Fruit; and a Harvest that’s Sure to be Abundant! That word ‘sure’ is defined as, ‘completely confident; certain to receive, get or do; undoubtedly true; completely reliable; not to fail.’ Its Old French ‘sur’, from Latin ‘securus’ literally means, ‘free from care.’ Which means, I don’t have to worry about God’s promise to me about my harvest, because it is SURE! I am free of care, fret, panic, worry, stress, back-up plans, and the like, because when I depend completely on God, remaining in Him, living in Him, joined to Him, my promise of a harvest that bears Much Fruit; Lots of Fruit; Much Abundant Fruit; is a SURE Thing! Therefore, I can be, ‘completely confident and certain that I’ll receive, get and do as He wills for me; I can be reassured that what He promised is undoubtedly true concerning me; every promise of His is completely reliable; and it will come to me and not fail.’ I reiterate, how do you not trust, rely on, depend on, a God like that?! These are His promises, and not one of them shall fall short of what He’s said! 

Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?” (AMP); 

Isaiah 55:8-11, “…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); 

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

Even When You Can’t Forget All You SEE, Always Remember What HE SAID! Because what He SAID, is SURE to Happen! 

I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s a pretty good trade off! I remain Dependent on God, and He Blesses Me for it! But isn’t that just like God? He doesn’t ask Everything of us. Just a little simple dependent obedience, and when we do, He gives more than we even asked for! For instance, give Him 10 percent, and He increases the 90 percent that’s remaining! What kind of math is that?! Malachi 3:10-12, “Bring all the tithes (the tenth) into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you [so great] a blessing until there is no more room to receive it.  Then I will rebuke the devourer (insects, plague) for your sake and he will not destroy the fruits of the ground, nor will your vine in the field drop its grapes [before harvest],” says the Lord of hosts. “All nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight,” says the Lord of hosts.” (AMP) So, we give Him 10 percent, and He not only gives us the 90 percent, but He opens the windows of heaven and pours us out so great a blessing until there is no room to receive it?! Say what you will, but I like the economy rules of heaven! And as an added bonus, he rebukes the devourer and commands all nations to call us blessed! Come on here God! And if that’s not enough, if we ask Him to meet a need, He turns around and meets every need! Philippians 4:19, “And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (AMP) And just to show how awesome of a God He is, He even supersedes what we ask, think, hope, pray or dream of! Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us,” (AMP) Which makes we wonder why do we dream so small? Why do we think inside the box, only? Why do we hope so haphazardly? Why do we pray so timidly? Why do we ask as beggars instead of His heirs? He’s just waiting to out-do anything we dare to think, dream, hope, pray or ask, so who wouldn’t trust and depend on a God like that?!

If we dare to depend on Him He’s waiting for us to just ask, seek and knock, so He can embarrass us by doing above and beyond all that we ask, seek or knock after! Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened.” (AMP) And all of this is granted based on faith. Faith in what? No, faith in Who! Faith in our God! A faith that trusts Him to give what we’ve asked for; to help us find what we’ve been seeking after; and to open the door of opportunity we’ve been knocking on. And none of that comes from our own power, might and strength. Only by our faith in God and dependence on Him! 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) Only God rewards people for seeking Him! How do you not trust Him? How do you not depend on Him? How do you not follow Him? He’s waiting with your reward, so when do you plan on having your dependence on Him show up to receive it?! 

Joni Eareckson Tada said that when she went to Africa, she was greeted by believers there who said, “Welcome to Africa, where our God is bigger. He is bigger because we need Him so much more!” Actually, we need Him every bit as much too! We just have other things and other people we Prefer to Depend on instead. So our lives are smaller because our view of God is smaller! We don’t Depend on Him Desperately for each day’s needs, choices, strength, and answers. Even though He has already said, “Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things you could never figure out on your own.” (Jeremiah 33:3 MSG). And what I absolutely love about this text is that I’m not left to my own limited mind to figure stuff out! All I have to do is depend on God enough to call out to Him, and He’s waiting to answer, even me! Truthfully, we’ve all had moments when we’ve called out to people for help and clarity, and we ended up worse off. But not with God. It’s like He’s sitting on His throne with the phone in His lap just waiting for it to ring! (Don’t laugh!) And yet with such a tremendous invitation, do we ever accept? Nope! We’d rather talk to everybody except God, and then when that doesn’t work, we use Him as our last resort. Family, this should not be! It’s time we stopped talking to people, and started praying to God! 

Prayer is our Language of Dependency! Therefore, you can pretty much tell how Dependent you are on God by how often you feel the need to cry out to Him in Prayer! Mark 11:24, “For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.” (AMP) God is waiting to give us what we pray for, yet, we haven’t become dependent enough on Him to pray! Saints, God is waiting for us to come to Him as His children dependent on their Father to care for them. So, what are we waiting for? What’s holding us up? 

Please understand that there is so much more waiting for you if you’ll only learn how powerful it is to recognize your powerlessness before God! Each new morning, in the Presence of Almighty God, you need to sign again – Your Declaration of DEPENDENCE on your King! That Declaration alone makes all the Difference! For the Believer, We Will Look at July 4th as a Holiday, HOWEVER, if anyone asks what Holiday it is For the Believer, tell them you’re simply “Celebrating DEPENDENCE Day!” I promise you it will be a tremendous witnessing tool, after all, who will pass up the opportunity for you to explain what that means?!

Remember our opening text: Isaiah 30:15-17, “God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: “Your salvation requires you to turn back to Me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete DEPENDENCE ON ME—The very thing you’ve been unwilling to do” (MSG)

Today, Shift from Being the Person Who’s Unwilling to Depend On God, to the One Willing to Depend On God! Your Dependence On God is Your Strength!

“Depending on God isn’t a weakness, it’s acknowledging His strength.” (Author Unknown)

“I am grateful for every adversity, I learn to depend more on God.” (Lailah Gifty Akita)

“Life as a Christ follower will always be a learning process of depending less on our own strength and more on God’s power.” (Lysa TerKeurst)

“There is no other method of living piously and justly, than that of depending upon God.” (John Calvin)

“If you are worshipping God without depending on the Spirit of God, you are serving a god you do not know.” (T.B. Joshua)

“Trust God, not people. Depend on God, not yourself. Live for God, not this world. God over everything.” (Trent Shelton)

“I may not be able to always depend on people, but I know I can depend on God.”

“Focus on God, not your problem. Listen to God, not your insecurities. Rely on God, not your own strength.”

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” (Saint Augustine)

“Don’t depend on God to give you strength, depend on God to BE your strength.” (Pastor John Hagee)

“To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.” (Tim Keller)

“God’s plan for your life is not dependent on the past, His plan is dependent on His promise.”

“Relying on God has to begin all over again everyday as if nothing had yet been done.” (C.S. Lewis)

“God wants us to be totally dependent on Him, and suffering seems to bring us to that point.” (Joyce Meyer)

“You may forget that you are at every moment totally dependent on God.” (C.S. Lewis)

“Having the reality of God’s presence is not dependent on our being in a particular circumstance or place, but is only dependent on our determination to keep the Lord before us continually.” (Oswald Chambers)

“We are dependent on God’s power through every step of our redemption.” (Jonathan Edwards)

“My imperfections will never override God’s promises. God’s promises are not dependent on my ability to always choose well, but rather on His ability to use well.” (Lysa TerKeurst)

“God has created us to be dependent upon Him, to bring Him our challenges and allow Him to help us with them.” (Joyce Meyer)

“Prayer is a declaration of dependence upon God.” (Philip Yancey)

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: “EASY TASTY GRILLING”

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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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“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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“Just Do It!”

“But his mother told the servants, “DO whatever He tells you to.” (John 2:5 TLB)

Do you need a miracle? Then reread the story of Jesus turning water into wine. And while you’re at it, keep in mind what Mary said to the servants at the wedding reception: “…Whatever He says to you, DO IT.” (AMP)

Which means:

1.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE NOT IN THE ‘RIGHT PLACE’: They were at a wedding, not a church, when Jesus performed this miracle. “Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee…” (John 2:1 MSG) Believe it or not, but some of our greatest blessings will occur at “places” other than the ones we’re used to, accustomed to, or expect. We simply have to learn how to be sensitive and obedient to a move of God in unfamiliar places. We expect to come to church and hear testimonies of the goodness of God. But do you know God works miracles outside of the four walls of the church? As hard as it may be for you to grasp, but God is saving souls behind prison walls, He’s giving job opportunities to those with no degree, He’s healing in the hospice, He’s providing shelter for those who last night slept under the bridge, He’s feeding those who just spent their last food-stamp. God is not restrained, restricted, limited or held captive, hostage or in bondage by our menial expectations of Him or His ability. Do you know that you don’t have to be in church, at the altar, or listening to gospel in order to experience a move of God? Understand that your limited location can’t limit a limitless God! He can heal at the gas station, provide while you’re in the beauty salon, make a way while you’re stuck in traffic, pay a bill while you’re applying for unemployment. You’re God Is Able! And you don’t have to be in the right circles, or in the proper location in order for Him to do it! So the next time you need a miracle from God, call on Him, no matter where you are! He can hear you from the basketball court; in the hospital; at the Medicaid/Medicare office; at the mechanic shop; waiting for the bus; standing in line at the supermarket; waiting for customer service at the bank; or even sitting on a swing in the park! He Hears You, He Sees You, And He Will Indeed Meet Your Every Need…No Matter the Address Your Need Shows Up At! Philippians 4:19, “And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) YOUR EVERY NEED according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (AMPC) Think about it: If He can show up and help the three Hebrew boys in a fire; Jonah in the belly of a fish; a bleeding woman in a crowd; or a paralytic coming down through the roof, surely He can show up anywhere you are, don’t you think? The Bible encourages us like this: “She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “YOU’RE THE GOD WHO SEES ME! “YES! HE SAW ME; AND THEN I SAW HIM!” (Genesis 16:13 MSG); “God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’M NEVER OUT OF YOUR SIGHT. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too – your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful – I can’t take it all in!” (Psalm 139:1-6 MSG). My friend, God can meet you ANYWHERE simply because He’s EVERYWHERE!  

2.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU’VE GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS: They’d run out of wine for their guests. Embarrassing! However, truth be told, far too often our problems drive us away from Jesus instead of to Him! Listen: If you really want to empty out a church house just let the church folks encounter a problem in life! Money dwindles down, we stop going to church; the doctor gives us a diagnosis, we stop going to church; the car breaks down (as if there is absolutely no other means of getting to church), you guessed it, we stop going to church; we break up in a relationship, we stop going to church; we lose a job, we stop going to church; we’re evicted, we stop going to church; our big toe hurts, and we stop going to church! BUT, if God is as powerful as He says, and we believe, then why would we want to go away from Him instead of to Him? For instance, if my car breaks down, I don’t want to leave the mechanic and go to the pharmacy! What help can I possibly get from there besides an aspirin to get rid of the headache my broke down car just gave me! Please hear me when I say this to you, your praise cannot go on pause because of your problems, neither can your worship water down because of your worries! Those are in fact the ideal times to seek God’s direction, wisdom and answers! Can you imagine if our children had a problem with a school assignment and instead of taking it to the teacher they decided to bring it home to the dog?! Sounds comical, but when we face problems in life that’s exactly what we do, we take our problems to people who cannot solve or resolve them, instead of taking them straight to God, the ultimate problem solver! There’s nothing too hard for Him, nothing impossible for Him, and nothing His hands cannot handle! Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?” (AMPC); Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too hard or too wonderful for the Lord? At the appointed time, when the season [for her delivery] comes around, I will return to you and Sarah shall have borne a son.” (AMPC) Luke 18:27, “But He said, What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (AMPC) So the next time you’re in need of a miracle, don’t take your problems to others, and surely do not keep them to yourself, take them to God! Miracles begin when we focus on God’s power, instead of our problems! The Bible declares: “If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, THEN TRUST THE LORD COMPLETELY; don’t ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” (Proverbs 3:4-6 TLB)

3.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE NOT BEING ENCOURAGED: When Mary turned to Jesus for help, He tested her faith saying, “Woman, why do you involve me?…” My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4 NIV). The Message Bible is a bit more colorful of course, “Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother – yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.” (MSG); And even The Living Bible has an interesting way of putting this verse: “…Jesus’ mother came to Him with the problem. “I can’t help you now,” He said. “It isn’t yet My time for miracles.” (TLB). However, even in the face of what seemed like discouragement, Mary still passed the test! Instead of being disheartened in the face of what looked helpless and hopeless, Mary yet laid hold of the possibility of a miracle, believed God and received one! Because regardless of Jesus’ words “…It isn’t yet My time for miracles”, the very next verse says “BUT his mother told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you to.” (vs. 5) And what happens next? “Six stone waterpots were standing there; they were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes and held perhaps twenty to thirty gallons each. THEN JESUS TOLD THE SERVANTS to fill them to the brim with water…” (vss. 6-8 TLB). How interesting. We went from “…It isn’t yet My time for miracles…” to “…Jesus told the servants…” When you know without a shadow of doubt that God is ABLE, you don’t allow anything or anyone to hinder or alter your belief! Mary never discussed a thing with Jesus, no crying, no complaining, no murmuring, no “but I’m your mama!” She simply gave the servants the only instructions that matter when there’s a problem and Jesus is present, “…DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU TO.” And that’s the attitude you have to learn to take on. Even if no one asks you how are you doing? How are you getting by? Do you need anything? Do you want to talk about it? Is there anything I can do for you? You must maintain your inner encouragement! You must learn to be your own Barnabas! Acts 4:36 says, “Now Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles, which interpreted means Son of Encouragement,” (AMPC) And not only was Barnabas a Son of Encouragement, but David was a King of Self-Encouragement: The Bible says, “David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. BUT DAVID ENCOURAGED AND STRENGTHENED HIMSELF IN THE LORD HIS GOD.” (1 Samuel 30:6 AMP). Learn how to do this for yourself! Even when the odds are against you! Stay in the ring and keep on fighting even when there’s no crowd cheering you on and no one in your corner to wipe your blood, sweat and tears. Believe God is Able, because He is, and I assure you, that will be all the encouragement you need!

4.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVEN’T WALKED WITH CHRIST VERY LONG: The servants who obeyed Jesus had just met Him! And His disciples had just started following Him! YET, they were ALL EXPECTED to obey Him! So are you! The church has gotten so high and mighty with titles, positions, offices, elevations, degrees, and the like that we’ve lost the childlike simplicity of faith in God. You don’t need all the proper vestments and to be seated in the right chair, you simply need to follow the voice of the Lord and obey it. I don’t care if you just walked off the street and all you know is the name of Jesus, truth is, that is all you need to know! The Bible says, “You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did – Jesus crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2 MSG); “For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ…” (Galatians 6:14 MSG). Whether you’ve been with Jesus 20 seconds, 20 minutes, 20 hours, 20 days, 20 months, or 20 years, the key is simple, childlike faith. Believe God and Obey Him! Let nothing and no one complicate the simplicity of faith! These servants and disciples believed and obeyed Him with the least of information about Him. You know that He saves, heals, delivers, performs miracles and He’s still alive and well, that’s enough! Don’t let go of that!

5.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVEN’T YET SEEN HIM WORK MIRACLES IN YOUR LIFE: This was Jesus’ FIRST MIRACLE! They had to obey Him without the faith that comes from a previous track record! That’s challenging! But I understand it! My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. The problem for us, the family, was, we had no point of reference for this! On both sides of the family there’s hypertension, diabetes, heart disease etc…but breast cancer? That was just as foreign to us as talking to us in Russian! We’ve seen Him regulate their hearts, blood pressure and even diabetes, but we had no point of reference for what He could do with breast cancer! So, we were all in a new place of trusting God for something we couldn’t even trace! Is that hard? Absolutely! Preacher or not, I will not tell you that was an easy faith walk for me! I’ve seen God heal people of cancer before, but this was different, this was MY Mama! And this was an area unfamiliar to my faith! Likewise, you may be facing some things in your life where you’re looking at it like, “where the heck did that come from? When did that start? Who has that? What do we do with that? That nut is not on our family tree?” And yet I admonish you, trust God anyhow! Yes, there will be times when even the treatment seems like it’s working against your condition, but trust God still. He knows what He’s doing. And whether He decides to bring you out of it, or leave you in it, and prove His ability still, trust Him. Your testimony, whether you come out or stay in, will ultimately strengthen your faith, and those around watching you! Romans 8:37, “Nay, IN ALL THESE THINGS we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (KJV) God doesn’t have to bring you OUT to bless you, He can bless you even while you’re still IN it!

6.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS: Why pour water into empty containers, when your problem is not water but wine? Answer: Give Jesus what you’ve got and He’ll give you back what you need! Believe me, like you, I’ve had Jesus to tell me to do some things that made absolutely no sense whatsoever! I just couldn’t grasp His required instructions. I mean think about it like this: In regards to tithing, God says give Me 10%, you keep 90%, and because you gave Me the 10%, I’m going to open the windows of heaven and increase your 90%! WHAT?! Jesus, what kind of math is this?! Reminds me of when my daughters would come home with math homework with numbers, letters, symbols and the like all in the same problem and go “mommy can you help me with this?” Uhhh NO! It looked like something to crack a code to hack into governments files! Who thought this math made sense! And so it feels the same when we try to make sense out of God’s process. But always remember this: He Has Never Asked Us to Understand the Process, Only to Obey It! Thank you Jesus! Because if my children were left dependent on me to help them with their math homework, they would currently be the oldest children in elementary school! Sounds comical, but I promise you it’s the truth! But you know what really encourages me when I don’t understand the process? Jeremiah 18:1-4, “God told Jeremiah, “Up on your feet! Go to the potter’s house. When you get there, I’ll tell you what I have to say.” So I went to the potter’s house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot.” (MSG). Even when things don’t turn out as well as we feel they should, the blessing is that the Potter keeps His foot on the wheel, and doesn’t throw away or discard the clay, but remolds and remakes it into something else. Do we need to know how? Absolutely not! All we need to know is that when it turns out bad, the Potter’s foot is still on the wheel, making it good again! Romans 8:26-28, “Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” (MSG) No Matter How BAD It Gets, the Potter Can Always Remake It For Our GOOD! So, don’t worry about the Potter or the Process, just remain Yielded Clay that He can work with!

In a Nutshell: When You’re In Need of a Miracle, Just Do What He Tells You To!

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

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

“Faith is trusting God even when you don’t understand His plan.” (Author Unknown)

“The more you believe and trust God, the more limitless your possibilities become for your family, your career, your life.” (Rick Warren)

“God said that everything would work out, not that everything would make sense. Trust Him!” (Author Unknown)

“Everything will work out in the end. You don’t need to know how. You just have to trust God and believe that it will.” (Author Unknown)

“Those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything.” (Author Unknown)

“Trust in God’s timing. It’s better to wait a while and have things fall into place, than to rush and have things fall apart.” (Author Unknown)

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

“Trust God, and do the next thing.” (Oswald Chambers)

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

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

“When we trust God more than our feelings, it confuses the devil. I mean, when he throws you his best shot and he can’t budge you from believing God, he won’t know what to do with you anymore.” (Joyce Meyer)

“I believe that a trusting attitude and a patient attitude go hand in hand. You see, when you let go and learn to trust God, it releases joy in your life. And when you trust God, you’re able to be more patient. Patience is not just about waiting for something – it’s about how you wait, or your attitude while waiting.” (Joyce Meyer)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “How to Help an Overweight Teen?”

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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 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

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“No Matter How Long It Takes, WAIT For God!”

Micah 7:7, “BUT ME, I’M NOT GIVING UP. I’M STICKING AROUND TO SEE WHAT GOD WILL DO. I’M WAITING FOR GOD TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT. I’M COUNTING ON GOD TO LISTEN TO ME” (MSG)

I seem to vaguely remember this old nursery rhyme from when I was a kid. It went like this: “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” If you asked my niece that question, she’d probably say, “Real Slow!” And maybe that’s why Mary was so contrary! You see, last spring, my niece worked with her Dad to clear a little area in the yard where she could have a vegetable garden. She was all excited about planting seeds in the ground: tomato seeds, green beans, carrots, and lettuce. But then she went out THE NEXT DAY to look at what she had planted. What did she see? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Then the NEXT WEEK, and the next week, and the week after that. She watered the garden when it didn’t rain. Helped pull up weeds. For the longest time, she went out to that garden to see what was happening and found out…NOTHING WAS HAPPENING – OR SO IT APPEARED! NOW, HAD SHE TRIED TO DIG UP THE SEEDS TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS HAPPENING, SHE WOULD HAVE RUINED EVERYTHING! But you know the story. It finally happened: The tomatoes and beans and carrots and lettuce finally showed MANIFESTED EVIDENCE, that what LOOKED LIKE NOTHING, WAS ACTUALLY SOMETHING ALL ALONG…IT JUST TOOK TIME!

“To everything there is a season, and a TIME for every matter or purpose under heaven…He has made everything beautiful in its TIME.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 AMP);

“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.” (Habakkuk 2:3 MSG).

Listen: No Matter What It Looks Like NOW, Remember It Will Look Even Better LATER! “‘This Temple is going to END UP FAR BETTER THAN IT STARTED OUT, a glorious beginning but an even more GLORIOUS FINISH…” (Haggai 2:9 MSG) And YOU Will Enjoy the Same Awesome Testimony! You Just Have to WAIT For It! No Matter How You Started Out, You Will Have an EVEN MORE GLORIOUS FINISH! “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, PATIENCE (AN EVEN TEMPER, FORBEARANCE), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness.” (Galatians 5:22 AMP). Just Be PATIENT!

Something had been happening all along to those seeds in my nieces garden! AND SOMETHING HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALL ALONG TO THE SEEDS WE’VE PLANTED AS WELL! REMEMBER: JUST BECAUSE WE CAN’T SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING, DOESN’T MEAN HE’S NOT DOING ANYTHING! In fact, that may be something important for you to remember right now. You’ve been praying about that need, that situation, that person for a long time and it LOOKS LIKE NOTHING’S HAPPENING! But the key words to keep in mind are: LOOKS LIKE! When a seed’s been planted, it LOOKS LIKE there’s NOTHING going on for some time, until that plant breaks through and ultimately produces some wonderful fruit!

When a new life has begun in a woman’s body, it doesn’t LOOK LIKE anything’s happened for quite a while. BUT EVERY DAY, THAT LIFE IS GROWING EVEN WHEN WE CANNOT SEE ITS GROWTH, UNTIL IT FIRST RESHAPES THAT MOTHER’S BODY AND ULTIMATELY APPEARS AS THAT PRECIOUS LITTLE BABY BEING BORN! Reminds me of a quote I’ve learned to live by: “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is Patience.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). The Bible says it this way: “But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, WE WAIT FOR IT WITH PATIENCE AND COMPOSURE.” (Romans 8:25 AMP).

The problem is that when it LOOKS LIKE nothing’s happening, we tend to say, “I’ve got to do something!” AND MOST OFTEN, IT’S THE WRONG THING TO DO; MUCH LIKE DIGGING UP THE SEED TO SEE IF IT’S GROWING OR PLOWING UP THE GARDEN BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE NOTHING’S HAPPENING!

Example: In 1 Samuel 13, beginning with verse 7, we receive a sobering example of how much we have to lose when we can’t WAIT for God to do it His way! You see, Saul, Israel’s first king, has been told by God’s man Samuel, to go down ahead of him to Gilgal. Samuel assures him that he will surely come down to him to sacrifice burnt offerings…BUT Saul must WAIT seven days UNTIL Samuel comes to him and tells him what he must do. HOWEVER, with the Philistine forces massing against them, the Bible says this, “…Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.” (vss. 7-8 NIV). SAUL PANICKED, AND HE DID WHAT NO KING WAS ALLOWED BY GOD TO DO: HE OFFERED THE BURNT OFFERING HIMSELF AND HE CROSSED A SACRED LINE! The Bible says, “Just as he finished making the offering…”, (hear this), “…Samuel arrived…” (vs. 10). And Samuel asks, “What have you done?…” (vs. 11). 

Saul answers by talking about what “…I SAW”…”I THOUGHT” …” I FELT…” (vss. 11-12 NIV).

Here’s the text in full: “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I SAW that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash,  I THOUGHT, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I FELT compelled to offer the burnt offering.” (NIV)

Three of the greatest keys to blocking God’s blessing that’s trying to spring forth in your life is: YOUR EYES (“I Saw”); YOUR MIND (“I Thought”); AND YOUR EMOTIONS (“I Felt”)!

When Your Something looks like Nothing the last thing you need to do is have BLURRED VISION, IMPURE THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS AND UNCONTROLLABLE EMOTIONS!

When Your Something looks like Nothing and you’re tempted to do Something about it, Beware of the Dangers of YOUR EYES, MIND AND EMOTIONS and bring them under subjection quickly! 

Why? Look at what the Bible admonishes: 

1…CONTROL YOUR EYES: The Bible says, “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] NOT BY SIGHT OR APPEARANCE” (2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP). “But GOD told Samuel, “LOOKS AREN’T EVERYTHING. DON’T BE IMPRESSED WITH HIS LOOKS and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. GOD judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women LOOK at the face; GOD LOOKS into the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 MSG). Wisdom Nugget: DON’T LET YOUR PHYSICAL SIGHT, DESTROY YOUR SPIRITUAL VISION! 

2…CONTROL YOUR MIND: The Bible says, “But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him]. For out of the heart come EVIL THOUGHTS (reasoning’s and disputing and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech. These are what make a man unclean and defile [him]…” (Matthew 15:18-20 AMP). “Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the THOUGHTS OF THE MIND [our cravings dictated by our senses and our DARK IMAGININGS]. We were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:3  AMP). Wisdom Nugget: CHOOSING BETWEEN A REPROBATE MIND (Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient“) AND A RENEWED MIND (Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.“), WILL DETERMINE WHETHER YOU CONTINUE TO REIGN OR COME TO RUINS! Bear in MIND, THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

3…CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS: The Bible says, “A FOOL EXPRESSES ALL HIS EMOTIONS, BUT A WISE PERSON CONTROLS THEM” (Proverbs 29:11 GWT). “In the end they will be destroyed. THEIR OWN EMOTIONS ARE THEIR GOD, AND THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THE SHAMEFUL THINGS THEY DO…” (Philippians 3:19 GWT). Wisdom Nugget: FULFILLMENT COMES NOT FROM FEELING, BUT FROM FOLLOWING! Look at it like this: THE COAT OF A ROTTWEILER IS SOFT, BUT HAPHAZARDLY REACHING OUT TO FEEL IT, MIGHT RESULT IN YOUR GOING INTO YOUR FUTURE WITH A FEW LESS FINGERS! LIKEWISE, FOLLOWING YOUR FEELINGS IS JUST AS DANGEROUS! DON’T LET YOUR EMOTIONS MAIM YOU! “MAIM” MEANS: “TO WOUND OR INJURE (SOMEONE) SO THAT PART OF THE BODY IS PERMANENTLY DAMAGED!” IN A NUTSHELL: TEMPORARY EMOTIONS CAN PERMANENTLY MAIM YOU! 

Saul messed up with what he SAW, THOUGHT AND FELT, therefore, Samuel informs him, “You have done a foolish thing…You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure…because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” (vss. 13-14 NIV). SAUL FORFEITS THE MAJOR LEGACY OF HIS LIFE BECAUSE OF DISOBEDIENCE THAT DISQUALIFIED HIM; A DISOBEDIENCE THAT CAME BECAUSE HE COULDN’T WAIT FOR GOD TO DO IT HIS WAY! 

INSTEAD, HE OBEYED HIS EYES AND MISSED OUT ON SEEING HIS KINGDOM ENDURE! 

HE OBEYED HIS THOUGHTS INSTEAD OF RESPECTING THE FACT THAT GOD’S THOUGHTS ARE NOT OURS. Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Oftentimes your real sacrifice is in waiting the full seven days, and even when nothing seems to happen, even on the appointed day, WAITING, TRUSTING AND KNOWING THAT GOD DOES NOT FAIL AND DOES NOT LIE, HE WILL PERFORM IT AND I’M GOING TO CONTINUE TO SIT UNTIL HE DOES, is the best thing you could ever do!  

LASTLY, HE OBEYED HIS FEELINGS AND FORFEITED A PROMISED FUTURE! 

HOWEVER, BEFORE YOU POINT YOUR FINGERS AT HIM, KNOW THAT YOU AND I ARE PRONE TO MAKING THAT SAME KIND OF MISTAKE! Nothing seems to be happening, things are starting to fall apart, and it LOOKS LIKE we’re at the point of no return! So we take matters into our own hands and, in so doing, WE RUIN WHAT GOD WAS GOING TO DO! God is so often the God of the eleventh hour! He waits until the moment when everyone will know IT HAD TO BE HIM! He waits so our faith can stretch farther than its’ ever stretched before so He can do greater things for us than He’s ever done before!  God is working in ways we can’t see, but ultimately something beautiful will be born for all to see! 

In the words of the Psalmist: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and HE WILL DO THIS…be still before the Lord and WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM” (Psalm 37:5, 7). Let God Do It His Way and In His Timing! And no matter how long you have to wait, remember: “God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 AMP). Yes He Will!

People of God, Regardless to what you See, Think or Feel, Your Nothing Has Something…You Just Have To Wait For It! SO WAIT! The Bible Admonishes Us: “WAIT and HOPE for and EXPECT the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, WAIT for and HOPE for and EXPECT the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 AMP).

Some of the most exciting moments in sports are the touchdown or field goal that win the game, especially, when there’s no time left on the clock! That game-winning basket as the final buzzer sounds is unforgettable! The game-winning home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning is remarkable! I’ve come to find out that whatever the sport, there is nothing like a sudden victory when victory seemed out of reach! It makes the fans go absolutely ballistic! Which reminds me of a quote I love: “I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people’s accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man’s failures.” (Earl Warren). Truth be told, it can be real nerve-wracking when you’re behind and time is running out! But it’s an awesome moment when a hero pulls out an unexpected victory…at the last minute! And the longer I walk with this God of ours, the more I’ve come to appreciate Him as the God of the last-second victory, or the God of the eleventh hour, as I’ve called Him so often. The Bible reveals many names by which God wants us to know Him. One that has meant so much to so many for so long is “Jehovah-Jireh”. It means, “The Lord will provide or the Lord will see to my provision.“

You may be facing a need or situation right now where that is literally your only hope – that the Lord will provide. Maybe it’s a job, a friend, or much needed finances; maybe it’s the house, the healing, the breakthrough or soundness of mind you need. Well, if that’s the case, today you need to be reminded that we have a rock-solid promise in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (NIV). Understand that this Scripture lets us know that God’s supply has nothing to do with what’s happening in the economy, in the news, at work, or in what your limited resources can or can’t do! It’s all about His Unlimited “Glorious Riches in Christ Jesus” account in Heaven, which transcends every limitation earth can provide!

People of God, You Need NOT Attempt to Understand God or His Ways or His Timing, or His Supply. You Need Only to Remember That He Is and Will Always Be…UNLIMITED! Which is why you should never fret over your LITTLE, when you serve such a BIG God! Another quote I love says, “If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped.” (Author Unknown) And the truth of the matter is, you may never understand how God supplies rivers in the desert, but when you’re thirsty, knowing that He can and He will is Enough!  So before you allow your fears to get the best of you, remember: “The Fear of God kills all other fears!”

Now to be honest, I believe God often waits a while to meet our needs…On Purpose! Let’s look at Scripture: “A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany…the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Master, the one you love so very much is sick.” When Jesus got the message, he said, “This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son.”…Then Jesus became explicit: “LAZARUS DIED. AND I AM GLAD FOR YOUR SAKES THAT I WASN’T THERE. YOU’RE ABOUT TO BE GIVEN NEW GROUNDS FOR BELIEVING. Now let’s go to him.” (John 11:1-4, 14 MSG). So before you panic, know that God always has a reason for allowing you to sit in the waiting room! And His reason is always the same: “…it will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son…and…You’re about to be given new grounds for believing…”. Your waiting, while wounded, gives God Glory and Increases Your Faith by giving you New Grounds or New Reasons to Trust Him even at the Eleventh Hour! That’s why you can’t get discouraged because “…it’s usually the last key in the bunch that opens the lock” (Author Unknown)! So, be patient, a door of opportunity is about to open just for you…all you have to do is WAIT!

Philippians 4:19 says He promises to meet all of our needs, But He does Not promise WHEN! See, most of us already know that He can do it, and that He’s promised to do it, but if only He’d share WHEN He’s going to do it, we’d be less likely to flip out when the last grain of sand is found in the hourglass! But then that wouldn’t be considered faith, now would it?! Ramona C. Carroll said it best: “Faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch.” But unfortunately for many of us, when we get to that last grain of sand, we panic, and come up with desperate and oftentimes ridiculous ways to so-called meet our needs on our own!

Again, let’s look at Scripture: “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.’ (Genesis 16:1-2 MSG). And believe it or not, nations are still paying for that ridiculous attempt at “helping God out”! Too often we abandon our trust in God because, He’s – if we dare be honest—TAKING TOO LONG! Even the Psalmist knows what this feels like: “Please, God…Treat me nice for a change; I’m so starved for affection. Can’t you see I’m black-and-blue, beat up badly in bones and soul? GOD, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO LET UP? Break in, GOD, and break up this fight; if you love me at all, get me out of here. I’m no good to you dead, am I? I can’t sing in your choir if I’m buried in some tomb!” (6:1-5 MSG). See, you’re not the only one who wants to stamp “Federal Express” or “Overnight Delivery” on God! But such actions take us right out of the Will of God and aborts what God was going to birth on our behalf if we would’ve trusted Him enough to wait the full 9 months!  “But those who WAIT for the Lord [who EXPECT, look for, and HOPE in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” (Isaiah 40:31 AMP).

Now, it’s in Genesis 22, where we find that God is known as Jehovah-Jireh for the very first time. We can learn a lot from how He worked that day for Abraham. See, Abraham had, by faith, obeyed God’s direction to take the son God had once promised to him, climb Mt. Moriah with him, and sacrifice his son there; as God (the Father) would do Himself one day with Jesus (His Son). Believing that God will somehow provide something he can’t imagine, Abraham yet promises his servants that both he and his son Isaac will return from the mountain. Genesis 22:10 says his faith and obedience went so far that “he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” At that very LAST MOMENT, God stopped him and showed Abraham a ram, stuck in a thicket, who would be sacrificed instead of his son. And the Bible says, “So Abraham called that place, ‘The Lord Will Provide.’“ Remember: Jehovah-Jireh – often steps in right on time, which is usually—when there’s no time left! Which reminds me of a quote I love, “Faith isn’t faith until it’s all you’re holding on to.” (Author Unknown)

God loves to come through for us when there is absolutely no place else that answer could come from, and there is no time left on the clock. It’s 11:59! The buzzer is about to sound! But that’s when God shows up with His provision, at a time and in a way that will blow you away, give Him all the glory, and show people around you the greatness and faithfulness of your God! Then it’s only natural that you’ll experience a whole new level of faith in Him and worship for Him! God’s last-minute victories are some of the most awesome moments of your life! So don’t lose faith now! “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.” (Oswald Chambers). Keep in mind: The greater the need, the later the hour, the more amazing God’s work on your behalf! That’s why you need to determine to be like your sports heroes and hang in there until the end of the game! And when God steps in and grants you a last-second victory, before the last grain of sand falls in the hourglass, remember, like the sports fans, go absolutely ballistic…in praise, worship and thanksgiving!

Will the wait be easy? Absolutely not, in fact it’s one of the hardest things to do! But remembering that God watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12); remembering that God does not and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19); remembering that God keeps His Word and every promise He makes (Isaiah 55:11), certainly makes the wait a little easier! And yes, I understand that the mortgage is over-due; the tuition seems impossible to pay; the car note is about to turn into a bus pass; the doctors may as well sign your cause of death certificate; the marriage is on life-support; the job is strangling your sanity or the lack of one is strangling your empty bank account. And yet, I still say wait on God and watch Him work, even at the 11^th hour! He’s done it before, and He can and will do it again! Don’t lose heart, patience, peace, joy or faith. God sits too high to let His people down! Hold on and hang in there, before the last grain of sand falls, God will step in with a last minute miracle!

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

“All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.” (Romans 8:22-25 MSG);

“Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.” (Psalm 37:7 AMP);

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

“How we handle the journey will determine the destination.” (Billy Cox)

“When it looks like nothing is happening, God is at work.” (Bishop James R. Chambers)

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” (Joyce Meyer)

“Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on what we’re waiting for.” (Charles Stanley)

“Sometimes we don’t understand why we are waiting. Often it is because God has something great in store, it’s just not the right time.” (Joel Osteen)

“No matter how long it takes, when God works, it’s always worth the wait.” (Author Unknown)

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

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“Just Do It!”

“But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you to.” (John 2:5 TLB)

Do you need a miracle? Then reread the story of Jesus turning water into wine. And while you’re at it, keep in mind what Mary said to the servants at the wedding reception: “…Whatever He says to you, DO IT.” (AMP)

Which means:

1.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE NOT IN THE ‘RIGHT PLACE’: They were at a wedding, not a church, when Jesus performed this miracle. “Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee…” (John 2:1 MSG) Believe it or not, but some of our greatest blessings will occur at “places” other than the ones we’re used to, accustomed to, or expect. We simply have to learn how to be sensitive and obedient to a move of God in unfamiliar places. We expect to come to church and hear testimonies of the goodness of God. But do you know God works miracles outside of the four walls of the church? As hard as it may be for you to grasp, but God is saving souls behind prison walls, He’s giving job opportunities to those with no degree, He’s healing in the hospice, He’s providing shelter for those who last night slept under the bridge, He’s feeding those who just spent their last food-stamp. God is not restrained, restricted, limited or held captive, hostage or in bondage by our menial expectations of Him or His ability. Do you know that you don’t have to be in church, at the altar, or listening to gospel in order to experience a move of God? Understand that your limited location can’t limit a limitless God! He can heal at the gas station, provide while you’re in the beauty salon, make a way while you’re stuck in traffic, pay a bill while you’re applying for unemployment. You’re God Is Able! And you don’t have to be in the right circles, or in the proper location in order for Him to do it! So the next time you need a miracle from God, call on Him, no matter where you are! He can hear you from the basketball court; in the hospital; at the Medicaid/Medicare office; at the mechanic shop; waiting for the bus; standing in line at the supermarket; waiting for customer service at the bank; or even sitting on a swing in the park! He Hears You, He Sees You, And He Will Indeed Meet Your Every Need…No Matter the Address Your Need Shows Up At! Philippians 4:19, “And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) YOUR EVERY NEED according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (AMPC) Think about it: If He can show up and help the three Hebrew boys in a fire; Jonah in the belly of a fish; a bleeding woman in a crowd; or a paralytic coming down through the roof, surely He can show up anywhere you are, don’t you think? The Bible encourages us like this: “She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “YOU’RE THE GOD WHO SEES ME! “YES! HE SAW ME; AND THEN I SAW HIM!” (Genesis 16:13 MSG); “God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’M NEVER OUT OF YOUR SIGHT. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too – your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful – I can’t take it all in!” (Psalm 139:1-6 MSG). My friend, God can meet you ANYWHERE simply because He’s EVERYWHERE!  

2.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU’VE GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS: They’d run out of wine for their guests. Embarrassing! However, truth be told, far too often our problems drive us away from Jesus instead of to Him! Listen: If you really want to empty out a church house just let the church folks encounter a problem in life! Money dwindles down, we stop going to church; the doctor gives us a diagnosis, we stop going to church; the car breaks down (as if there is absolutely no other means of getting to church), you guessed it, we stop going to church; we break up in a relationship, we stop going to church; we lose a job, we stop going to church; we’re evicted, we stop going to church; our big toe hurts, and we stop going to church! BUT, if God is as powerful as He says, and we believe, then why would we want to go away from Him instead of to Him? For instance, if my car breaks down, I don’t want to leave the mechanic and go to the pharmacy! What help can I possibly get from there besides an aspirin to get rid of the headache my broke down car just gave me! Please hear me when I say this to you, your praise cannot go on pause because of your problems, neither can your worship water down because of your worries! Those are in fact the ideal times to seek God’s direction, wisdom and answers! Can you imagine if our children had a problem with a school assignment and instead of taking it to the teacher they decided to bring it home to the dog?! Sounds comical, but when we face problems in life that’s exactly what we do, we take our problems to people who cannot solve or resolve them, instead of taking them straight to God, the ultimate problem solver! There’s nothing too hard for Him, nothing impossible for Him, and nothing His hands cannot handle! Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?” (AMPC); Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too hard or too wonderful for the Lord? At the appointed time, when the season [for her delivery] comes around, I will return to you and Sarah shall have borne a son.” (AMPC) Luke 18:27, “But He said, What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (AMPC) So the next time you’re in need of a miracle, don’t take your problems to others, and surely do not keep them to yourself, take them to God! Miracles begin when we focus on God’s power, instead of our problems! The Bible declares: “If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, THEN TRUST THE LORD COMPLETELY; don’t ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” (Proverbs 3:4-6 TLB)

3.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE NOT BEING ENCOURAGED: When Mary turned to Jesus for help, He tested her faith saying, “Woman, why do you involve me?…” My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4 NIV). The Message Bible is a bit more colorful of course, “Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother – yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.” (MSG); And even The Living Bible has an interesting way of putting this verse: “…Jesus’ mother came to Him with the problem. “I can’t help you now,” He said. “It isn’t yet My time for miracles.” (TLB). However, even in the face of what seemed like discouragement, Mary still passed the test! Instead of being disheartened in the face of what looked helpless and hopeless, Mary yet laid hold of the possibility of a miracle, believed God and received one! Because regardless of Jesus’ words “…It isn’t yet My time for miracles”, the very next verse says “BUT his mother told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you to.” (vs. 5) And what happens next? “Six stone waterpots were standing there; they were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes and held perhaps twenty to thirty gallons each. THEN JESUS TOLD THE SERVANTS to fill them to the brim with water…” (vss. 6-8 TLB). How interesting. We went from “…It isn’t yet My time for miracles…” to “…Jesus told the servants…” When you know without a shadow of doubt that God is ABLE, you don’t allow anything or anyone to hinder or alter your belief! Mary never discussed a thing with Jesus, no crying, no complaining, no murmuring, no “but I’m your mama!” She simply gave the servants the only instructions that matter when there’s a problem and Jesus is present, “…DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU TO.” And that’s the attitude you have to learn to take on. Even if no one asks you how are you doing? How are you getting by? Do you need anything? Do you want to talk about it? Is there anything I can do for you? You must maintain your inner encouragement! You must learn to be your own Barnabas! Acts 4:36 says, “Now Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles, which interpreted means Son of Encouragement,” (AMPC) And not only was Barnabas a Son of Encouragement, but David was a King of Self-Encouragement: The Bible says, “David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. BUT DAVID ENCOURAGED AND STRENGTHENED HIMSELF IN THE LORD HIS GOD.” (1 Samuel 30:6 AMP). Learn how to do this for yourself! Even when the odds are against you! Stay in the ring and keep on fighting even when there’s no crowd cheering you on and no one in your corner to wipe your blood, sweat and tears. Believe God is Able, because He is, and I assure you, that will be all the encouragement you need!

4.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVEN’T WALKED WITH CHRIST VERY LONG: The servants who obeyed Jesus had just met Him! And His disciples had just started following Him! YET, they were ALL EXPECTED to obey Him! So are you! The church has gotten so high and mighty with titles, positions, offices, elevations, degrees, and the like that we’ve lost the childlike simplicity of faith in God. You don’t need all the proper vestments and to be seated in the right chair, you simply need to follow the voice of the Lord and obey it. I don’t care if you just walked off the street and all you know is the name of Jesus, truth is, that is all you need to know! The Bible says, “You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did – Jesus crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2 MSG); “For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ…” (Galatians 6:14 MSG). Whether you’ve been with Jesus 20 seconds, 20 minutes, 20 hours, 20 days, 20 months, or 20 years, the key is simple, childlike faith. Believe God and Obey Him! Let nothing and no one complicate the simplicity of faith! These servants and disciples believed and obeyed Him with the least of information about Him. You know that He saves, heals, delivers, performs miracles and He’s still alive and well, that’s enough! Don’t let go of that!

5.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVEN’T YET SEEN HIM WORK MIRACLES IN YOUR LIFE: This was Jesus’ FIRST MIRACLE! They had to obey Him without the faith that comes from a previous track record! That’s challenging! But I understand it! My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. The problem for us, the family, was, we had no point of reference for this! On both sides of the family there’s hypertension, diabetes, heart disease etc…but breast cancer? That was just as foreign to us as talking to us in Russian! We’ve seen Him regulate their hearts, blood pressure and even diabetes, but we had no point of reference for what He could do with breast cancer! So, we were all in a new place of trusting God for something we couldn’t even trace! Is that hard? Absolutely! Preacher or not, I will not tell you that was an easy faith walk for me! I’ve seen God heal people of cancer before, but this was different, this was MY Mama! And this was an area unfamiliar to my faith! Likewise, you may be facing some things in your life where you’re looking at it like, “where the heck did that come from? When did that start? Who has that? What do we do with that? That nut is not on our family tree?” And yet I admonish you, trust God anyhow! Yes, there will be times when even the treatment seems like it’s working against your condition, but trust God still. He knows what He’s doing. And whether He decides to bring you out of it, or leave you in it, and prove His ability still, trust Him. Your testimony, whether you come out or stay in, will ultimately strengthen your faith, and those around watching you! Romans 8:37, “Nay, IN ALL THESE THINGS we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (KJV) God doesn’t have to bring you OUT to bless you, He can bless you even while you’re still IN it!

6.. DO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS: Why pour water into empty containers, when your problem is not water but wine? Answer: Give Jesus what you’ve got and He’ll give you back what you need! Believe me, like you, I’ve had Jesus to tell me to do some things that made absolutely no sense whatsoever! I just couldn’t grasp His required instructions. I mean think about it like this: In regards to tithing, God says give Me 10%, you keep 90%, and because you gave Me the 10%, I’m going to open the windows of heaven and increase your 90%! WHAT?! Jesus, what kind of math is this?! Reminds me of when my daughters would come home with math homework with numbers, letters, symbols and the like all in the same problem and go “mommy can you help me with this?” Uhhh NO! It looked like something to crack a code to hack into governments files! Who thought this math made sense! And so it feels the same when we try to make sense out of God’s process. But always remember this: He Has Never Asked Us to Understand the Process, Only to Obey It! Thank you Jesus! Because if my children were left dependent on me to help them with their math homework, they would currently be the oldest children in elementary school! Sounds comical, but I promise you it’s the truth! But you know what really encourages me when I don’t understand the process? Jeremiah 18:1-4, “God told Jeremiah, “Up on your feet! Go to the potter’s house. When you get there, I’ll tell you what I have to say.” So I went to the potter’s house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot.” (MSG). Even when things don’t turn out as well as we feel they should, the blessing is that the Potter keeps His foot on the wheel, and doesn’t throw away or discard the clay, but remolds and remakes it into something else. Do we need to know how? Absolutely not! All we need to know is that when it turns out bad, the Potter’s foot is still on the wheel, making it good again! Romans 8:26-28, “Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” (MSG) No Matter How BAD It Gets, the Potter Can Always Remake It For Our GOOD! So, don’t worry about the Potter or the Process, just remain Yielded Clay that He can work with!

In a Nutshell: When You’re In Need of a Miracle, Just Do What He Tells You To!

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

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

“Faith is trusting God even when you don’t understand His plan.” (Author Unknown)

“The more you believe and trust God, the more limitless your possibilities become for your family, your career, your life.” (Rick Warren)

“God said that everything would work out, not that everything would make sense. Trust Him!” (Author Unknown)

“Everything will work out in the end. You don’t need to know how. You just have to trust God and believe that it will.” (Author Unknown)

“Those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything.” (Author Unknown)

“Trust in God’s timing. It’s better to wait a while and have things fall into place, than to rush and have things fall apart.” (Author Unknown)

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

“Trust God, and do the next thing.” (Oswald Chambers)

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

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

“When we trust God more than our feelings, it confuses the devil. I mean, when he throws you his best shot and he can’t budge you from believing God, he won’t know what to do with you anymore.” (Joyce Meyer)

“I believe that a trusting attitude and a patient attitude go hand in hand. You see, when you let go and learn to trust God, it releases joy in your life. And when you trust God, you’re able to be more patient. Patience is not just about waiting for something – it’s about how you wait, or your attitude while waiting.” (Joyce Meyer)

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: “Calories Burned By Household Chores”

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“INHALE the Word, EXHALE the Worry, LIVE the Promise!”

“Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and CHOKE and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.” (Mark 4:19 AMP)

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

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

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

Notice, the problem is not the sower or the seed, it’s the soil.

Jesus said they “hear the word,” so we’re talking about church folks with a pre-existing mindset that chokes every Scripture they hear, read, or try to apply. We’re not talking about unbelievers or the world here. We’re talking about laying hands, prophesying, tongue talking, praise, worship and praying church folks, who allow stuff to suffocate the Word they’ve heard! These are the folks who get stuck in the thorn bushes! And Jesus describes these thorns as: “The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things.”

Can you imagine hearing the Word of God with all of its promises, protection, provision, and the like and yet allowing stuff to choke out the message? And what kind of stuff choked it out? Well, do you remember the time when you thought the house you now live in, the career you now enjoy, and the investments you now have, would make all your worries go away? Or so you thought…But no, the more you have, the more you have to lose, to protect, to maintain, and to worry about. That’s why it’s called “the deceitfulness of wealth.” The word “Deceit” is defined as “to deliberately mislead into believing something that is false; to give a mistaken impression of.” It’s Old French Origin “Deceivre”, from Latin “Decipere” literally means “To Ensnare or Cheat”. And that’s exactly what happens when you, the believer, allows “the deceitfulness of wealth” to cheat you out of the valuable promises of the Word of God!

Listen again: “Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and CHOKE and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.” (Mark 4:19 AMP)

So what’s choking you?

Cares and Anxieties of the World, Distractions of this day and age; Pleasure and Delight and FALSE Glamour; the Deceit of Riches; and the Craving of Things!

This is what’s “Choking” you!

This is what’s preventing you from opening your mouth and declaring the promises of God that you’ve heard! This is what’s hindering your movement in walking in the promises of God; this is the worries that are strangling you with such strong emotion that you’re speechless and breathless! And one of the most dangerous things you can do is to cut off someone’s breath! No breath? Then how do you declare and decree the Word of the Lord over your life? No breath? Then how do you praise and worship the Lord? No breath? Then how do you speak well over yourself and your loved ones?

And to take it a step further, this time you can’t even blame the devil for the attack! Remember: You Heard the Word, However, YOU then let the Cares and Anxieties of the World, Distractions of this day and age; Pleasure and Delight and FALSE Glamour; the Deceit of Riches; and the Craving of Things to put your breath/your air/your life in jeopardy! How? Because the Bible is clear? “But he answered and said, It is written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD” (Matthew 4:4). How do you expect to Live without digesting the Bread of Life? And how can you digest with a constricted throat?

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

Remember You are a Believer, and as Such, You Believe the Word of the Lord:

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

Did you catch that last line? “YOU’LL FIND ALL YOUR EVERYDAY HUMAN CONCERNS WILL BE MET.” And when will ALL your concerns be met? EVERYDAY! In other words, there is not one single day of the 366 you receive (yep, He meets yours needs even in a leap year!) where your God forgets to meet your daily concerns! Unbelievers fret, worry, panic, set-up back up plans, and lose sleep and hair! But as believers our sleep is sweet! Because we have the promise of resting in the Lord, even when we’re tired, frustrated, stressed, we still have the promise of Rest! “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG).

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

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

Listen: I had the unfortunate experience of both choking on food and on a pill, and neither was a fun experience! But because of the experience, I learned to be more cautious when I eat my food and when I take a pill. I take small bites of my food and chew it well before swallowing. And I make sure a pill is small enough (or I will use my pill crushing to bring it down to size). In other words, I’ve experienced the feeling of losing your breath and I didn’t like it so I took precautions. Likewise, many of us have allowed the Cares and Anxieties of the World, Distractions of this day and age; Pleasure and Delight and False Glamour; the Deceit of Riches; and the Craving of Things to choke us. But as the old saying goes, “When you know better, do better.”

With that said, today, take the time to exam your life. Locate the areas of care, fear, fret, worry, anxiety, distractions, deceit and even the desires of unnecessary things and uproot the thorns!

Take today’s devotional as the label you find on children’s toys, “Caution, small pieces may cause choking.” Because the truth is, little by little, day by day, fear and the like will slowly creep into your life and suffocate faith right out of it!

Stop allowing things and stuff to choke out the Word of God you’ve received! Maintain a lively hope, and a lively faith. God has no desire for you to die, but for you to live!

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10);

“I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” (Psalm 118:17).

So, what’s choking you? Hanging out among the thorns! Which is why today is a good day to do some spiritual gardening. Put your gardening gear on and get to uprooting and killing anything that would choke the life of the Word of God out of your life!

Inhale the Word, Exhale the Worry, and Live the Promise!

“Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength.” (Corrie Ten Boom)

“Stop worrying so much. Worrying is using your imagination to create things you don’t want.” (Author Unknown)

“My Mission: To be so busy loving my life that I have no time for hate, regret, worry, fret, or fear.” (Author Unknown)

“Worrying equals a waste of time. Good and bad things will happen in life. You just have to keep living and not stress over what you can’t control.” (Author Unknown)

“Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere.” (Author Unknown)

“Be careful with what seeds you allow to take root in the garden of your heart. Not all seeds bear good fruit.” (Author Unknown)

“We have the seed of the Gospel Word. It is up to each of us to set the priorities and to do the things that make our soil good and our harvest plentiful.” (Dallin H. Oaks)

“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” (Mark Twain)

“You can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow.” (Janis Joplin)

“Worry will never change the outcome.” (Author Unknown)

“Worry is a total waste of time. It doesn’t change anything. All it does is steal your joy and keeps you very busy doing nothing.” (Author Unknown)

“Don’t believe every worried thought you have. Worried thoughts are notoriously inaccurate.” (Renee Jain)

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road, and enjoy the journey.” (Babs Hoffman)

“The ego may have taught us that there are hundreds of reasons why we worry, but in truth, there is only one – we lack trust in our God.” (James Blanchard)

Philippians 4:6-9, “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (MSG)

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

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