“Is Your Church a Storm Shelter or Just a Storm?”

You know, there’s a stretch of Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City, that has been called “Tornado Alley.” On the Weather Channel, a lot of spring and summer days show that part of the country colored in the bright red that indicates severe weather is for Oklahoma! The most powerful tornado America ever had so far even roared through the Oklahoma City area just a few years ago. When my friend Ethan drove through that particular area on a spring day between storm systems, he couldn’t help but be impressed with what he saw as he drove by a church. Right in front of the church you could see an open door sticking up out of the ground. The church actually had a storm cellar right out on the street, and the door was WIDE OPEN!

And if you think about it, that’s exactly how EVERY CHURCH AND CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP should be – A STORM CELLAR WITH THE DOOR WIDE OPEN FOR EVERYBODY TO ENTER! Sadly, too many churches turn out to be a place where you find more storms than storm cellars. However, the church is meant to be the safest place in town, especially in the midst of storms!

Truthfully, we’ve got a lot to learn from the original template of how God’s people are supposed to operate together. It’s described for us in Acts 2, beginning with verse 42. These were the original Christians and they showed us how to do it right. The Bible reads, “They devoted themselves, to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” First of all, there’s the key to being Jesus’ kind of church – STAY FOCUSED ON THE MAJORS AND DON’T GET MIRED IN THE MINORS. The majors are studying the Word of God together, celebrating your common ground in Christ, remembering His cross, and waging war on your knees in prayer. Not majoring on personalities, buildings, budgets, music styles, or putting people in categories that you see fit to put them in.

This powerful blueprint goes on to say that “all the believers were together…they gave to anyone as he had need.” They focused on needs, not programs, pulpits, pews and pettiness. No, “every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” Well, of course they won the favor of all the people! How could they miss when they provided a place where you could count on being loved, count on having people care about your needs, and count on finding a safe place. That’s the storm cellar so many people are looking for in our stormy world.

Listen to Acts 2:42-47 in the Amplified Bible: “And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread [including the Lord’s Supper] and prayers. And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers). And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common; And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need. And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord’s Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts, Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were being saved [from spiritual death].” (AMPC)

The Message Bible reads it like this: “That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.” (MSG)

Can you image if today’s church responded like the Acts 2 church? If we assembled in prayer, reading the Word of God, sharing the Lord’s Supper together, studying, meeting the needs of all, with no ownership or competitiveness involved, just unconditional, sacrificial love, kindness and selflessness!

So, how did we let God’s safe place deteriorate into just another stormy place? Let’s be honest about it: Egos, personal agendas masquerading as God’s agenda, making small issues into big issues, developing an unofficial caste system that effectively has one group of people who are the insiders and the rest who feel like the outsiders, judging people by their outward appearance instead of by their heart, or treating people as categories instead of as individuals, just to name a few. Somehow, the church has become a place where we’re known for something other than the one characteristic Jesus said would draw people to Him… “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. The Message Bible says it like this: “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” (MSG) Did you catch that? We, the church, Christ’s disciples, are to love others and one another, “…IN THE SAME WAY I LOVED YOU…” And how did He love us? “No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] THAN TO LAY DOWN (GIVE UP) HIS OWN LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.” (John 15:13 AMP) The Message Bible reads like this: “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: LOVE ONE ANOTHER THE WAY I LOVED YOU. This is the very best way to love. PUT YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE FOR YOUR FRIENDS. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father. (John 15:11-15 MSG); John 3:16-17, “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that HE [EVEN] GAVE UP HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN (UNIQUE) SON, SO THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN (TRUSTS IN, CLINGS TO, RELIES ON) HIM SHALL NOT PERISH (COME TO DESTRUCTION, BE LOST) BUT HAVE ETERNAL (EVERLASTING) LIFE. For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.” (AMPC) The Message Bible reads like this: “THIS IS HOW MUCH GOD LOVED THE WORLD: HE GAVE HIS SON, HIS ONE AND ONLY SON. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.” (John 3:16-18 MSG)

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit loves in such an unconditional and sacrificial manner, and WE, the CHURCH, are called to love likewise!

Think about it, in the midst of a storm, do you think people want to be yelled at because the storm messed up their home or their lives; or be yelled at because they are struggling in the storm; or that they can’t come back to the church until AFTER the storm has passed! No, we are to LOVE people IN the storm! And truthfully, storms make an absolute mess of things! They knock down power lines; tress; throw garbage and recycling cans around; snow, sleet, leaves and dirt are flying all over the place; they can cause black outs and accidents; and if you’re caught outside in it, your hair and clothes all take a severe beating! Does that sound like something people are smiling through? No, those are times when people need sympathy, concern, help, and most of all LOVE! So, how are you doing as a storm cellar? How’s your church doing as a storm cellar? Or are you both simply a place where storms kick up more mess?!

Listen, we represent the welcoming Savior who said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The Message Bible reads like this: “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) This is how people can come to Jesus, but can they come to us, the church, the same way? Are we adding to people’s storms, or are we taking away the burden of it so they can gather strength and rest?

The One who was called “the friend of sinners” and who sought out the lostest (my word) of the lost, and who sought out those the religious people rejected, is the same One who told us to “…LOVE THE SAME WAY HE LOVED US…” Question is, are we doing it? That’s a welcoming Savior, that’s a loving Savior! We’ve got to be His welcoming representatives, providing one place where anyone and everyone can feel safe in this storm-ravaged world. We are the open door through which people can find the sanctuary of the love of Jesus Christ.

Listen to this: A ‘storm shelter or storm cellar’ is defined as ‘a type of underground bunker designed to protect the occupants from violent severe weather, particularly tornadoes; a cellar or covered excavation designed for protection from dangerous windstorms (such as tornadoes)’. Church, this should describe us and the House of God! The Lord’s House should be that place of shelter where people can use as their refuge and help, to come into and regain strength and peace. After all, that’s where the Bible says strength resides! Read Psalm 20:2,

“MAY HE SEND YOU HELP FROM HIS SANCTUARY and STRENGTHEN you from JERUSALEM.” (NLT) Jerusalem is “THE CITY OF PEACE”

“MAY HE SEND YOU HELP FROM THE HOUSE OF GOD, and give you STRENGTH from ZION.” (NLV) Zion is “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN”

“MAY HE SEND YOU HELP FROM THE SANCTUARY and GRANT YOU SUPPORT FROM ZION” (NIV)

“God answer you on the day you crash, The name God-of-Jacob put you out of harm’s reach, Send reinforcements from Holy Hill, DISPATCH FROM ZION FRESH SUPPLIES, Exclaim over your offerings, Celebrate your sacrifices, GIVE YOU WHAT YOUR HEART DESIRES, ACCOMPLISH YOUR PLANS.” (VSS 1-4 MSG)

“MAY HE SEND YOU AID FROM HIS SANCTUARY IN ZION” (TLB)

“MAY HE SEND YOU HELP FROM THE SANCTUARY AND SUSTAIN YOU FROM ZION” (HCSB)

“MAY THE LORD SEND HELP FROM HIS TEMPLE AND COME TO YOUR RESCUE FROM MOUNT ZION.” (CEV)

“SEND YOU HELP FROM THE SANCTUARY AND SUPPORT, REFRESH, AND STRENGTHEN YOU FROM ZION;” (AMPC)

“MAY HE SEND YOU HELP FROM THE SANCTUARY (HIS DWELLING PLACE) AND SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN YOU FROM ZION!” (AMP)

Church, let’s not just GO to church, but let’s BE the church! And apart of that BEING the CHURCH is US being a place of strength, shelter, hope, help, rescue for people fighting to survive the storms of life. Some people are struggling to endure physical, mental, emotional, financial, and spiritual storms. They need GOD not GOSSIP. They need COMFORT not CRITICISM. They need SHELTER not more STORMS. They need LOVE not LONELINESS.

Today, if we and our churches are storm shelters, let’s work even harder to do and be more. If we’re not, let today be the day that we are encouraged, empowered and inspired to exemplify the church of Acts 2. Let today be the day that we love as Jesus loved us!

Psalm 27:5, “For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His SHELTER; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.” (AMPC)

Psalm 55:8, “I would hasten to escape and to find a SHELTER from the stormy wind and tempest.” (AMPC)

Psalm 57:1, “[To the Chief Musician; [set to the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A record of memorable thoughts of David when he fled from Saul in the cave. ] Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds SHELTER and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.” (AMPC)

Psalm 61:3-4, “For You have been a SHELTER and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the adversary. I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever; let me find refuge and trust in the SHELTER of Your wings. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!” (AMPC)

Psalm 71:3, “Be to me a rock of refuge in which to dwell, and a SHELTERING stronghold to which I may continually resort, which You have appointed to save me, for You are my Rock and my Fortress.” (AMPC)

Isaiah 4:6, “And there shall be a pavilion for shade in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge and a SHELTER from storm and from rain.” (AMPC)

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “The Healthiest Takeout Orders From Every Cuisine”

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“The LIFESTYLE of a LIVING EPISTLE”

2 Corinthians 3:1-3, “Are we beginning to be like those false teachers of yours who must tell you all about themselves and bring long letters of recommendation with them? I think you hardly need someone’s letter to tell you about us, do you? And we don’t need a recommendation from you, either! The only letter I need is you yourselves! By looking at the good change in your hearts, everyone can see that we have done a good work among you. They can see that you are a letter from Christ, written by us. It is not a letter written with pen and ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not one carved on stone, but in human hearts.” (TLB)

Out of nowhere, all of a sudden we heard a loud ‘Boom’! Suddenly all the lights went out in the conference center where we were staying, just as we were all making our way out of our rooms and down this long hallway to breakfast. No windows. The hallway was longer than usual that morning because it was totally dark. Turns out the entire region experienced a power failure that morning. And guess what caused it? A squirrel got into a relay station and gnawed through a cable. In one split second, there was fried squirrel and lights out!

But the problem that day really wasn’t the darkness. Truth is, darkness is always dark, right? No shock and no surprise there. But the actual problem was the failure of the light. And a lot of us Christians have been lamenting what we perceive as the growing spiritual darkness around us: Fewer people identifying themselves as Christians, more people identifying themselves as nonbelievers, long-time moral boundaries that are eroding or collapsing. Marriages are failing, children are straying, there’s so many robberies, fires, slashing’s, murders and the like. Let Christians tell it, this is the worst the world has ever been, the darkest it has ever been!

But might I throw a monkey wrench into the equation? Because when it’s dark, the problem isn’t the darkness. It’s the failure of the light to shine. And Jesus Himself said to His followers, “YOU are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14 NKJV). It appears something’s wrong then with the light, not the dark. The dark is fulfilling its purpose, but the light however, is not!

I can think of two ways that we’re failing our world and our Lord. One has to do with a flawed message that obscures the true Message. But we’ll talk about that in a minute. In the meantime, here are three reasons why I think the light is so often obscured.

First, FLAWED MESSENGERS: Over and over, a watching world sees well-known Christians suddenly disgraced by a dark secret. You can probably think of some pastors, mega church “stars,” TV personalities, athletes, and politicians. And folks who don’t like the message can now find another “hypocrite” to hide behind.

The sad fall of a prominent Christian is a teachable moment, underscoring three critical realities:

First, each Jesus-follower’s life is either a reason for someone to check out Jesus or check out on Jesus. You see, if I drift away from Him, I take watching unbelievers with me. That’s why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:12, “…We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.” (NLT) And Peter said, “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when He judges the world.” (1 Peter 2:12 NLT). So, my little “sin fling” or “spiritual detour” will cost me God’s blessing. However, what’s even more important is that it could also cost those watching me their eternity!

So, when you think it’s just “your business” when you fail and fall, you couldn’t be more wrong. Unbelievers are watching, whether you are aware or not. It’s a lot like an adult touching a hot stove, when kids see them doing it, they automatically see no problem or danger with touching it too. But the thing is, the adult has experience, they know what to touch and for how long. They’ve been burned before, so even though their hands may touch a hot stove, they know how to do so without injury. But children don’t know this. They’ll simply imitate what they’ve seen us do. And the end result is their hurt. Unbelievers are the same. They’re watching us, and many, believe it or not, are imitating us, but to their own hurt. We’re not giving them the whole story on how we’ve been burnt before. So they do what we do to their own demise. They end up hurt, by following our lead. We have to learn to pay greater attention to what we do, say and how we behave. Others are watching, others are imitating. And we don’t want to be found guilty of causing hurt to someone we were supposed to be helping.

Then secondly, every time a public Christian is discredited, the importance of the everyday Christian is elevated. The Christian who is in a seeker’s life every day has far more impact than any Christian in the spotlight. I am the face, the voice, the proof of Jesus to the unbelievers in my personal world for better or for worse. Therefore, it’s always important that I walk the talk. It’s exponentially important that I’m consistent especially when there’s been a public Christian disgrace. When they see me, they’ve got to be able to see Jesus all day every day. Like it or not, truth is, when people see that ONE preacher has failed, we’re ALL GROUPED TOGETHER as “see, that’s what I mean about THEM preachers”. Many have been assassinated by association. So when one falls, it’s vital that we that are standing, remain standing as we help our brother/sister back on their feet. Galatians 6:1-3, “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.” (MSG)

I reiterate, others are watching, others are imitating.

Here’s one other very vital reality. The failure of the messenger does not change the truth of the message. Jesus said, “Follow Me.” Not follow My followers. He said, “I am the Way” (John 14:6). Not, “I will show you the way.” He told us, “I am the resurrection and the life…he who believes in Me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25). Not, believe in someone who practices the Christian religion. No, He said, “Believe in Me. Follow Me.” Therefore, I don’t want you to think I’m letting folks off the hook. Even when the messenger is flawed, the Message is still flawless! Jesus made it all about Jesus. So while a hypocrite might provide an excuse for not believing, they don’t provide a valid reason. Because it’s what we do (personally) with Jesus that determines our eternity. In fact, that’s the question you will face when you see God. “What did you do with My Son who died on a cross for you?” So, this does not take away people (or unbelievers) personal accountability to receive, follow and obey Christ. But we are His messengers with His message of salvation, healing, deliverance and change, and when we handle the message haphazardly, it causes harm to them that have yet to believe.

Believers, we play a huge part in the eternity of others. People listen to what we say about our Savior, but more importantly, they watch to see if we’re living what we say. Which reminds me of something I once read that said: “There are five Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – and the Christian. Most people never read the first four.” (Author Unknown) That observation, made a long time ago, could not be more true today. I, and you, are Living Epistles, we’re Human Bibles that unbelievers are reading daily, whether we’re at work, in church, in the laundromat, in traffic, or on a Friday or Saturday night. People are reading us as the Word and Work of God.

If our world’s getting darker, then something must be wrong with what folks are “reading,” in the Christians – the messengers – the light of the world – they know. And truth is, the problem isn’t the message, and it’s not about the messenger, but actually, with the way the messenger represents the message.

That message is, as the Bible says, is the “good news about Jesus” – the love that died for us, the power that crushed death. So the problem sure isn’t the message. But the Good News doesn’t sound as good when it’s obscured by three mistakes that we the messengers make.

Number one, our TONE. So many unbelievers I know use some unwelcome words to describe Christians. You may have heard them: “angry,” “judgmental,” “condemning.” Did you know up to 80% of communication is tone? Not what we say, but how we say it. So is our tone drowning out our message?

Jesus’ main man, Simon Peter, seemed to learn that over time. Earlier, he was brash, he was explosive. But later, he said we should “But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy—acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect.“ (1 Peter 3:15). Is that how people feel when they’re with us – “gentled” and “respected?” Listen to the Message Bible translation: “If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.” (3:13-18 MSG) We are as believers to make sure that our tone is always, “…WITH THE UTMOST COURTESY…” Which should make you ask? Is it our message folks are rejecting or our tone as we deliver it? People of God, this isn’t about winning an argument. It’s about winning a heart. Think about it: No one reads a love letter the same as they do a letter of condemnation. One makes them feel special, loved, important, valued, it makes them smile. The other makes them feel condemned, judged, criticized, unloved, irrelevant, it makes them frown. And the same goes for us and our tone in delivering the Good News. You Can’t Deliver Good News With a Bad Tone! Even if they’re in the wrong, it doesn’t make it right for us to scream at the top of our lungs, “you’re going to hell!” Because, if God drew us with loving-kindness, who are we to lash out at others with anything less?

Then secondly, our message gets obscured when it becomes OUR message. We Jesus-followers have one authority for the message that changes eternities. It’s God’s Word. “All Scripture” the Bible calls it. And it says it is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). “God-breathed“…Not Apostle Apple; Bishop Banana; Pastor Potato; Elder Eggplant; Minister Macaroni; Deacon Danish; Missionary Maple Syrup! It’s not OUR personal message, it’s His. His Word, His Message, His Gospel, His Breath! 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is GOD-BREATHED [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (AMP) You see, when it becomes our personal message, it becomes about us, and we didn’t bare the cross, the nails, the spear, the wounds, the agony, the blood, the pain, the death or the resurrection for anyone, Jesus alone did that. Therefore, the message of Hope is about Him…not us! Many are being turned away and turned off because we’ve spent so much time talking about the wonderful clay and all the great things it’s been shaped to become, but not sharing that it is the Potter that makes it all possible.

2 Corinthians 4:7, “Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure BELONGS TO GOD AND DOESN’T COME FROM US.” (GWT)

Jeremiah 18:1-6, “The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will make you hear My words.”  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and saw that he was working at the wheel.  But the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled by the potter’s hand; so he made it over, reworking it and making it into another pot that seemed good to him.” Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” says the Lord. “Look carefully, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.” (AMP)

It’s never about the messenger, only the message. It’s never about the clay, only the treasure within. It’s never about the vessel, only the hand that molds it.

I reiterate, sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is About HIM, NOT US!

Another danger is that as our culture moves, and Christians tend to move with it. Always keeping an apparently “righteous distance” but quickly ending up where non-believers were as little as ten years ago. Reinterpreting, rationalizing, diluting their source (the Bible) to justify their “flexible truth.” But when we adjust our beliefs to placate our culture, we are no longer the choice Jesus called us to be. We’re just an echo of our culture; losing the power of God’s voice for some wimpy blend of Christianity and cultural appeasement. We stop speaking about sin, holiness, righteousness, repentance, because we need to say things in a way that brings them to the church (not changes them or even brings them to Christ) just brings them to the church. However, that’s not the goal. The goal is saved souls. And we can’t accomplish that calling Sin: “affairs, struggles, issues, strongholds” NO, Sin is just that, Sin. And sin leads to death. James 1:13-15, “Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.” (MSG)

BUT, there is an alternative, and His name is Jesus! Church, we have to get back to a clear, concise message about Jesus. And the only way to do that is to preach, teach, and share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Not the latest cliché, not the latest movie title or dance, not the latest slang. But the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Completely Undiluted, Uncontaminated, Unaltered, Unadulterated!

As Martin Luther essentially stood against the whole world in his day, here was his anchor verse: “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). If it stands firm in the heavens, we can’t change it here on earth! That word “eternal” is defined as, “lasting or existing forever.” Meaning the Word should remain the Word always (not depending on where we are, who we’re around or what we’re assigned to do). You can’t alter the Word of God. You can’t add to it or take away from it. It needs to remain in its most effective state and that is pure and unaltered! Whether you share the Good News in church, at work, in your home, at the shelter, at the gas station, to 500 people or to 5, to the CEO or the garbage man, the Word is to remain Unchanged! We don’t compromise the integrity of the Word of God to fit and suit our culture (or conference, convocation, morning sermon etc.). So, when people read your life, make sure they’re reading a clear, concise, unchanged Word about Jesus!

Thirdly, I think our message can be obscured by our BAGGAGE. The Gospel is compelling when it’s just the Gospel. But some people never get to the Gospel because of the baggage we encumber it with: church, denomination, culture wars, rules, condemning people’s lifestyles. However, the fact remains, it’s all about Jesus! Not our personal opinions; our ideologies; our experiences; our imaginations; our feelings. No, none of that matters. The message is about Jesus! It needs no fluff, no rhymes, no jingles, no eloquence of speech. Just the unadulterated Word of God about Jesus…about Salvation.

Even Jesus made it all about Jesus with His simple invitation, “Follow Me” (Mark 1:17). “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28). “Believe in Me” (John 14:1). Jesus never said follow Me and Pastor Potluck…Come to Me and Sister Soup…Believe in Me and Brother Roast Beef! NO! The message we are to share is that people are to follow, come to and believe in JESUS! Not us, not our church, not our ministry, not our pastor, not our gifts, not our anointing, not our choir, not our praise breaks! But JESUS! That’s why Paul, Jesus’ greatest ambassador said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “for I made the decision to know nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection].” (AMP) In other words, I don’t want nor need to hear anything else but JESUS!

Charles Spurgeon said the Cross is “that magnificent magnet.” Because “if they perceive,” Spurgeon said, “that He loved them and gave Himself for them, their hearts are stolen away.” And all that happens simply by the Cross. Not our name, anointing, gifts, preaching, teaching, power, etc…but the CROSS!

Can you imagine what would happen if we went back to preaching the Word, preaching Jesus, preaching the Cross, preaching holiness, preaching the Blood?!

That message, uncompromised, unencumbered, delivered with love, is what it has always been. Romans 1:16, “The power of God at work, saving everyone who believes”. It’s all about Jesus and His Cross and His Word. Stick to that!

Messengers who act like Jesus, a message that’s all about Jesus. That is a bright light on an otherwise dark and dangerous stretch of road.

We, my friends, are Human Bibles that unbelievers are reading daily. Make sure that the Message they read in our lives is that of the Unadulterated Word of God, the Name of Jesus and the Power of His Blood, Cross, Salvation, Healing, Deliverance, and Redemptive Life-Changing Power!

Don’t Speak About the Horrible Gossip You Heard When You Can Speak About the Holy Ghost You Heed!

Don’t complicate the Message, don’t confuse the readers, keep it simple…keep it about the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus!

As Believers, WE are the Only Bible Some Unbelievers Will Ever Read About Our Jesus. So Let’s Make Sure Our Lives and Lifestyles are Giving Them the “Good Message” to Read!

“Only if the Church hides its message and ceases to be what God designed the church to be can it make an unbeliever comfortable.” (John Macarthur)

“You are the ONLY Bible some unbelievers will ever read.” (John MacArthur)

“Be careful how you live. Your life may be the only bible some people ever read.” (Author Unknown)

“When you trust God in spite of suffering, you’ll point unbelievers to Him.” (Pastor Rick)

“Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus.” (D. Elton Trueblood)

“The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but its sending capacity.” (Mike Stachura)

“Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” (D.T. Niles)

“I would sooner bring one sinner to Jesus Christ than unravel all the mysteries of the divine Word, for salvation is the one thing we are to live for.” (Charles Spurgeon)

“The way you store up treasure in Heaven is by investing in getting people there.” (Rick Warren)

“We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.” (John Stott)

“One Way: Jesus! One Job: Evangelism!” (T.L. Osborn)

“Evangelism is not an option for the Christian life.” (Luis Palau)

“We do not fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not subsequently converted; we fail only if we do not faithfully tell the gospel at all.” (Mark Denver)

“Evangelism is not salesmanship. It is not urging people, pressing them, coercing them, overwhelmingly them, or subduing them. Evangelism is telling a message. Evangelism is reporting good news.” (Richard Halverson)

“Prayer is crucial in evangelism: Only God can change the heart of someone who is in rebellion against Him. No matter how logical our arguments or how fervent our appeals, our words will accomplish nothing unless God’s Spirit prepares the way.” (Billy Graham)

“Whatever we do, we must not treat the Great Commission like it’s the Great Suggestion.” (Charles R. Swindoll)

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped around their knees. If hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let no one go unwarned or unprayed for .” (Charles H. Spurgeon)

“My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ.” (Billy Graham)

“I believe that in each generation God has called enough men and women to evangelize all the yet unreached tribes of the earth. It is not God who does not call, it is man who will not respond.” (Isobel Miller Kuhn)

“Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” (Charles Spurgeon)

“Emergency vehicles demand access because human lives are at stake. Evangelism demands the same priority, for the same reason.” (Ray Comfort)

Romans 12:1-2, “And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy—the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you.” (MSG)

Hebrews 12:1-2, “Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God.” (MSG)

2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, receive the love he offers you—be reconciled to God.” (MSG)

1 Corinthians 1:18, “I know very well how foolish it sounds to those who are lost, when they hear that Jesus died to save them. But we who are saved recognize this message as the very power of God.” (MSG)

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 Beat Holiday Stress, According to Experts”

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“How Well Do You Represent Your Name?”

Acts 4:36, “Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus, who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement.)” (AMP)

My friend Alan lives in Colorado. And if it’s one thing anyone who knows about me knows, I absolutely love Aspen, Colorado, in particular. Another favorite of mine is also the season of Fall. And with Colorado having so many trees, you can only imagine how breathtakingly beautiful it looks in Autumn. Well, my friend Alan, although he loves his home state, is not exactly a huge fan of the trees or the Fall season! You see, one of the good things about Alan’s yard is all the huge, beautiful trees he has. However, one of the really bad things about Alan’s yard is all the huge, beautiful trees he has…especially in the Fall! The problem is, his town requires the bagging of leaves, so they had the exciting challenge of raking and bagging over 100 bags every single year! And as the kids left home, one by one, guess what…Alan’s labor force dwindled to one. And take a wild guess as to the one who was left with the responsibility of raking and bagging all of those leaves? Yep, you guessed right, Alan!

Well, one day Alan was out there raking away – The Lone Raker. And suddenly an angel arrived in the yard. Well no, actually, it was his eight-year-old next door neighbor, Sandra. But in Alan’s book, she must have been an angel! Why? Because she said she wanted to help, and help she did. She raked, she bagged, and then she said, “Any time I hear you raking, I’m going to come over and help!” Alan said ‘this girl must wear specially tailored sweaters to cover up her huge angel wings!’ Well as Sandra was going for another bag, she told Alan why she’d come to help him rake and bag. She said, “My parents told me that my name means ‘Someone Who Helps’, so I’m always trying to do what my name says I’m supposed to do, help.” I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love that! Someone who lives up to their name!

In doing a little research on Sandra’s name, I actually learned that it’s Greek, and means “Helper of Humanity.” I for one can attest she lives up to her name and represents it quite well!

Now, the girl next door has been named Helper, and she’s living up to her name. And truth is, most people usually do live up to the names they’re called…for better or worse. Acts chapter 4, verse 36, the Bible identifies a man who will become a trusted and important leader of the early Christian church. It calls him “Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus, who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement.)” (AMP) Well, later we see Barnabas go into action when the Christians are trying to decide how to handle the most notorious convert they had – Saul of Tarsus; the man who until recently had been the number one persecutor of the followers of Christ. But now he had met Christ.

Here’s what Acts 9:26-27 says, “When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.” (NIV).

Barnabas introduces Saul and opens the door for him to the apostles. Here’s the Son of Encouragement putting an arm around a new believer and giving him a chance when no one else would.

With that said, I wonder how much better our homes, churches, jobs, schools and communities would be, if only we were more like Barnabas? If we encouraged, included, supported, defended and helped others. Instead of joining the critical clan in competing, comparing, and criticizing. And truth is, Saul had a lot against him, and he was the one who put all of it against himself. No one made him do the things he did. He was a horrible man. Yes, that was his truth. But Jesus changed him, therefore who had the right to judge his change? I personally believe we spend too much time talking about who and what someone was, that we miss out on all the great things they’ve become and accomplished since. I mean if your daughter was a straight D student, and then sought out help with tutors, and put in extra hard work, to now become a straight A student…would you continue to throw her past D’s in her face? If your spouse wasn’t as attentive the first 5 years of your marriage, but has been the last 5 years of your marriage, do you hold the first 5 years over their head forever? If they weren’t growing, but now they are, do you keep watering their past weeds, or celebrate that they’ve gotten rid of them? They’re better this year (2020), but do you keep them mentally imprisoned in year (2000)?

Just as you deserved a second chance (and that’s putting it mildly, because we’re all on the minimum chance number 1,000,000,000,000…clearly you get the picture), so don’t they deserve the same chance? What if people locked you into the person you used to be? What if they kept throwing in your face your drug and alcohol abuse; your adultery; your fornication; your babies out of wedlock; your 2 baby mama’s and 3 baby daddies; your lying; your stealing; your gossiping; your repossessions; your 4th closed church; your pink slip; your cussing; your prison record; your recovery relapse; your foreclosure; your unemployment; your 3^rd marriage; your overeating; your abortions; your promiscuous ways…would that be acceptable?

What if they continued to throw in your face when you lived in a filthy one room apartment; when you had no money, no food, and no one to help or love you…would that be acceptable?

No, it wouldn’t be, and you wouldn’t like it one bit. Therefore, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you were redeemable, remember that so is everybody else, no matter what they did, who they were, or where they came from! Jesus died for ALL, not just for the ‘acceptable few!’

That’s why I love Barnabas’ response to Saul. Knowing who he was, what he did and where he came from, STILL when he brought him before the people, he spoke of who he is NOW! Why not allow today to be the day you treat others likewise. Stop speaking of their THEN, and speak of their NOW, because you have no idea what great things God can still do for them in their LATER.

That’s the story of Barnabas’s life. In Acts 11:23 we’re told that the believers (who were almost all Jewish at this point) weren’t sure how to respond to the news that Gentiles were coming to Christ in Antioch. Guess who they sent to check it out? “They sent Barnabas,” it says. “When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord.” What did he do? “Encouraged them all,” what else would you expect from Mr. Encouragement? He Always Represented the Name Whereby He’d Been Called…Do You? Selah…

Let’s read the text in full: “Those who had been scattered by the persecution triggered by Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they were still only speaking and dealing with their fellow Jews. Then some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene who had come to Antioch started talking to Greeks, giving them the Message of the Master Jesus. God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp of approval on it—quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the Master.When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, THEY SENT BARNABAS TO ANTIOCH TO CHECK ON THINGS. As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. HE THREW HIMSELF IN WITH THEM, GOT BEHIND THEM, URGING THEM TO STAY WITH IT THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit’s ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master.Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were for the first time called Christians.” (Acts 11:19-26 MSG)

How phenomenal of a leader and believer is Barnabas? Not only does he exemplify leadership, but also character, integrity, credibility, accountability, and encouragement. And does he take any credit for himself? Absolutely not! In fact, he goes looking for Saul (the one no one wanted to include, encourage, support and help), and he had him to join him in the work of strengthening the church. In a place of persecution, their work for the Lord prospered for the people. It’s in this setting in which disciples are first called Christians, in the midst of one man who simply encouraged all! One man who simply lived up to his name!

Then to take it a step further, later, when Barnabas and Paul have a disagreement on a young missionary named Mark, it’s Barnabas who takes a chance on this young man who actually flunked out as a missionary and he disciples him into leadership. The point’s obvious. Just like Sandra next door in our opening story, Barnabas became what he was called; he did what his name indicated he would do. Sandra helped, Barnabas encouraged. What are you supposed to be doing? Are you doing it?

Example: Daniel means ‘God is my judge’; David means ‘beloved’; Ruth means ‘friend’. And each lived up to their names, but so did Achan whose name means ‘trouble’. What name are you living up to?

Think about it: Do the people around you remember and probably act out the names that they’ve been called growing up? You know as parents I think we forget the power of our words sometimes to make our children feel very big or very small. We call them lazy, or stupid, or rebel, or not good enough. And chances are, that will imprint the tape in their heart and mind and it’ll play back their whole life! Think of how that affected you and how even as a grown up, maybe you’re still playing back those old tapes of what mom or dad said; grandma or grandpa; that sibling; aunt; cousin; coworker; boss; pastor; teacher; coach; neighbor; friend; ex-boyfriend or girlfriend; spouse etc… People have a tendency to become what you call them, much like many of us have had the hurtful experience of becoming what others called us.

For instance, in counseling, there are so many terms that come up that I absolutely detest. Things like: “you’ll never be nothing because your daddy wasn’t nothing”; “you act just like your no good mama”; “his daddy went to jail and he’s on his way just like him”; “her mama got pregnant at 16, just wait and see, the way she act and dress, she’s gonna be just like her”. Those kinds of words, names and labeling are easy to attach, but never are they so easy to detach from! Which is why we should be ever so careful how we label people. Stop calling them: “mean, rude, nasty”, don’t label them with what you wouldn’t want to wear on your own back.

That’s why it’s so important to consistently call people what we want them to become; caring, unselfish, helper, listener, creative, smart, accomplished, better, changed. Even when you see just a flash of a great trait, tell them how much that means to you and others. Celebrate their every improvement, no matter the size of it.

In addition, even our mates tend to become what we call them; our friends and family; the people we minister to. And it’s important to water what you want to grow with positive strokes and sincere praise. Remembering that Proverbs 18:21 admonishes: “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” (MSG). So look for the beauty in each person in your world and speak the beauty, even when you see the ugly. Romans 4:17, “…God who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.” (AMP). Our words are powerful, impactful, creative and life giving, we just have to Choose to use them Wisely! Therefore, no matter how bad it looks in their life, speak good by faith until it manifests! Look for the gifts they have; for a spark of what they could be if someone would just fan that spark into a mighty flame. What you’re really doing is helping a person see the masterpiece and workmanship God made when He made them; the make-a-difference person that Jesus can make them.

Now, as for all of us as believers, we are called Christians. But are we living up to that name? ‘Christian’ in and of itself is defined as ‘a person who has received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and follows His teachings; someone who lives Christ-Like.’ And that term ‘Christ-Like’ is defined as “resembling or showing the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” And “resemble” is defined as “to have a similar appearance to or feature in common with.” Its Old French Origin “resemble”, from Latin “similare”, from “similis” literally means “like”. And if someone were to ask if YOU live your CHRISTIAN LIFE, CHRIST-LIKE, what would be your HONEST response?

After all, Jesus was and encourages us to be:

“Loving” (John 13:1, “It was before the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Jesus knew the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had LOVED His own who were in the world. He LOVED them to the end.” (NLV);  

“Joyful” (John 15:11, “I have told you these things so My JOY may be in you and your JOY may be full.” (NLV);

“Peaceful” (Matthew 5:9, “Those who make PEACE are happy, because they will be called the sons of God.” (NLV);

“Kind” (Ephesians 4:32, “You must be KIND to each other. Think of the other person. Forgive other people just as God forgave you because of Christ’s death on the cross.” (NLV);

“Forgiving” (Luke 23:34, “Then Jesus said, “Father, FORGIVE them. They do not know what they are doing.” And they divided His clothes by drawing names.” (NLV)

“Fair” (Matthew 7:12, “Do for other people whatever you would like to have them do for you. This is what the Jewish Law and the early preachers said.” (NLV)

“Compassionate” (Mark 1:41, “Jesus put His hand on him with LOVING-PITY. He said, “I want to. Be healed.” (NLV);

With that said, if you were accused of being a Christian (Christ-Like), would you be found guilty…or innocent of all charges and characteristics?

I’m personally very thankful for my friend Alan’s neighbor Sandra and for her parents who named their daughter Helper. She was becoming what she’d been called, and you know what? That could happen to the people around you as well. So be sure you call them what Jesus would call them.

You know in preparing this, I thought of Benjamin, when his mother birthed him and what she called him: Genesis 35:18, says “With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune).” (MSG) Can you imagine what people can turn out to be if we call them (not by the past, not by the hurt, not by their failures or mistakes, not by their sin or short-comings, not by their experience, not by our mood or attitude), but by what they can actually become! Benjamin went from being the son of pain, to the son of good fortune, and all because one person refused to allow him to wear a label he was not to be called by! You have the power to change what someone’s been called the same way! Just speak well of them and what they will become!

In fact, a name was so important to God that He even changed Jacobs name: Genesis 35:9-10, “God revealed himself once again to Jacob, after he had come back from Paddan Aram and blessed him: “Your name is Jacob (Heel); but that’s your name no longer. From now on your name is Israel (God-Wrestler).” (MSG) If God can change Jacob’s name, He can change yours and theirs!

Don’t get stuck on how they behave, conduct themselves, what they say and do. Don’t get stuck on their past, their failures and mistakes. Don’t even get stuck in their personality flaws. Because truth is, we ALL have issues, flaws, mistakes and a past. Remember what the Bible admonishes: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A NUMBER OF YOU KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT, FOR NOT SO LONG AGO YOU WERE ON THAT LIST. SINCE THEN, YOU’VE BEEN CLEANED UP AND GIVEN A FRESH START BY JESUS, OUR MASTER, OUR MESSIAH, AND BY OUR GOD PRESENT IN US, THE SPIRIT.” (MSG) Therefore, BEFORE you call, name and label Them…remember…the Bible says: “…A NUMBER OF YOU KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT, FOR NOT SO LONG AGO YOU WERE ON THAT LIST…” Don’t Remember What They Were, and Forget What YOU Were! After all, you don’t want anyone going through the dirty laundry of your past, so stay out of the hampers of others! You are now Clean, so call them Clean too, after all it is the SAME Savior and Word that Washed and Cleansed You Both!

Today let’s start by behaving by the name in which we are called, Christians, who live Christ-Like. Let today be the day we exemplify the fruit of the Spirit that is supposed to be dwelling on the inside of us, or so we say. Galatians 5:22-25, “But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things. Those of us who belong to Christ have nailed our sinful old selves on His cross. Our sinful desires are now dead.If the Holy Spirit is living in us, let us be led by Him in all things.” (NLV)

Lastly, I thought of Jabez. The Bible says in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, “Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor. His mother had named him Jabez (Oh, the pain!), saying, “A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!” Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection—don’t let evil hurt me.” God gave him what he asked.” (MSG) In this instance, his name wasn’t changed, but he prayed to God to change what his name represented. He would go from pain, to God’s personal protection. Likewise, for those of you who have spent years struggling and hurting with the names and labels that have been attached to you, the best thing to do is go to God. And like Jabez, despite what They called you (even when it’s family…Selah!), God can still bless you! God is your Maker, so never settle for wearing a Label He didn’t Design for you!

You have been called Christian. You have been called to be Christ-Like. Today, Remember Who you represent, and Whose Name you represent, and Live Up to It! And while You do so, make sure you give that same opportunity and grace to Others as well! Everyone deserves a second chance and a fresh start no matter what they’ve been called by name: liar, cheat, thief, bastard, no good, loser, failure, drunk, stupid, etc.

Which reminds me of a quote that says, “The devil knows your name, but calls you by your sin. God knows your sin, but calls you by your name.” (Author Unknown).

And what new names has God given you? 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (AMP).

God doesn’t call you any less, so make sure you don’t call others any less. 

Never Forget, We Are Called to the Ministry of Reconciliation, Not Retaliation! 2 Corinthians 5:16-20, “Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. WE’RE CHRIST’S REPRESENTATIVES. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” (MSG)

We are God’s Representatives, so let’s make sure that we live up to all His Name Represents! After all, we are Called Christians, after Christ, so shouldn’t we behave Christ-Like (in word, deed, attitude, lifestyle)?

Genesis 1:26-27, “God spoke: “Let us make human beings IN OUR IMAGE, make them REFLECTING our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself,and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.”God created human beings;he created them GODLIKE, REFLECTING GOD’S NATURE.He created them male and female.God blessed them:“Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.” (MSG)

This is who we are called to be and what we are called to do. Let’s represent this well! Let’s represent His name well. Let’s represent well the name we’ve been called.

“Whether you realize it or not, people are watching you. Even in small areas, make sure you’re representing God in a great way.” (Author Unknown)

“We are citizens of a different Kingdom, ambassadors representing Christ in a foreign land.” (Randy Alcorn)

“We are called to be ‘ambassadors of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Ours is a ministry of reconciliation. To be an ambassador for Christ means above all to invite everyone to a renewed personal encounter with the Lord Jesus.” (Pope Francis)

“You have the right to do a lot of things, but you have the responsibility to represent Jesus well by loving others.” (Author Unknown)

“If I’m going to represent God I have to do it the best I can.” (Cliff Richard)

“Don’t spend your life trying to be someone else. No one has ever walked the planet who can represent God the way you can.” (Lisa Bevere)

“Wherever you are you represent the Kingdom of God.” (Author Unknown)

“I play to represent God, something bigger than baseball.” (Albert Pujols)

“The God who speaks with utmost integrity must have messengers who represent Him well.” (Haddon W. Robinson)

“You are placed on this earth to represent God. Make sure you do a good job.” (Elizabeth George)

“God calls each of us individually and corporately to represent Christ to the world, but our independence, pride and individualism often prevent us from becoming unified in the work of the Kingdom. When unity takes place among leadership in the Body of Christ, the Lord will respond by pouring out the Holy Spirit and His anointing on His people. We will see more fruitful evangelism, genuine signs and wonders, and an impact on the nation we never thought possible.” (Pastor Mensa Otabil)

“Everywhere you go, if you’re going to call yourself a Christian, you’re representing God.” (Joyce Meyer)

“God specifically created us to be like Him. This is impossible to wrap our minds around, but God created us like Him in some respect and then set us in the midst of this world to represent Him.” (Francis Chan)

“God doesn’t call us to mediocrity. He calls us to a greater standard that doesn’t teach us to tear people down to reach Him, but to lift others up. Be the type of person that when people walk away from you, they know Who you represent.” (Shannon L. Alder)

“I don’t live in this world to give my opinion. I’m here to represent the Word of God.” (John MacArthur)

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 Exercise Tips For People With Type 2 Diabetes”

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“Carry God Correctly!”

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

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

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

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

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

When we Hide the Truth, We Give No Reason For Change To The World! We have to remember at all times, Believers Don’t Blend!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Listen: As Christ’s Representatives, We Can’t Afford to Mix God Up in Our Selfish Agendas, BUT We Must Stick to the Bible and Understand How He Wants Us to Walk in This World!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 Samuel 6:6-7, “When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out [with his hand] to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen [stumbled and] nearly overturned it.  And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.” (AMP) Trying to help cost him his life. And all because he put his hands on the ark he wasn’t supposed to touch. An ark that was being carried incorrectly. Can you imagine if that was God’s response to us every time we carried Him incorrectly or represented Him in a manner inconsistent with His Character? How much of the Church would be left alive? Sadly, Uzzah would never have lost his life had the ark been carried correctly in the first place. Saints, we have to remember that there are always consequences to our choices. And if we choose to haphazardly carry God incorrectly, He will chastise the children in whom He loves. But who’s to say what that chastisement might be? And do you really want to compromise and chance it? Truthfully, we’ve all missed out on much due to our disobedience. Not to mention, this side of heaven, we’ll never know how many people we led astray by our contrary behavior.

We preach, teach and pray that these are the end times and the last days. Well, wouldn’t you say then that it’s vital that the church gets her act together? Lives and eternity are hanging in the balance. Our obedience can tip the scales in the Kingdom’s favor. People of God, We Must Stay Obedient to Him In Order to Win the Lost! For We Dare Not Carry God So Carelessly That the World Declares “…You ALMOST Persuaded Me…” (Acts 26:28) ‘Almost’ is defined as, ‘very nearly; borderline; partially; just about; within an inch of.’ And in these last days and end times, is that the report we intend to give to God? That our inconsistent lifestyles of straddling the fence, caused people to miss heaven by a borderline?! People who were very near to accepting You, they were partially there, just about, within an inch of making it in, until they saw how we act out! Listen, I can’t speak for you, but that is NOT the report I intend to give God!

Let’s not lose anymore Uzzahs!

Let’s Carry God the Way He’s Already Commanded Us to. Let’s be His clean, and honorable vessels that He can pour into and out of. Let’s make sure our habits, behavior, attitude, speech, attire, lifestyle choices all reflect a good representation of God. Let’s remember we’re created in His image and likeness, we’re His Ambassadors, we are Christians, called by His Name, we are Disciples of Christ, we are children of God, and representatives of heaven, we are the called out ones, we are the CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD! Now, let’s act like it!

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

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

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“Trials Train You to Fight!”

Judges 3:2, “He did this to TEACH WARFARE to generations of Israelites WHO HAD NO EXPERIENCE IN BATTLE” (NLT).

The Contemporary English Version says it like this: “And the Lord had another reason for letting these enemies stay. The Israelites NEEDED TO LEARN HOW TO FIGHT IN WAR, just as their ancestors had done. EACH NEW GENERATION WOULD HAVE TO LEARN BY FIGHTING” (CEV)

God brought the nation of Israel into the Promise Land of Canaan through Joshua. But after Joshua, THERE CAME AN ENTIRE GENERATION WHO HAD NO EXPERIENCE IN FIGHTING BATTLES! How can a generation who knew nothing but to fight for victory, not train the next generation to do the same? However, this is the problem with today’s church, which is why so few know how to deal with spiritual warfare when it arises! They run and hide, and cry, and complain, and beg God to remove what they don’t like or don’t want to deal with. But ‘old church’ knew how to slay a devil, do devotion, wash clothes, pray, cook, clean, fast and help the kids with their homework, all before sundown! Yet, now, if this generation stub a toe they’re out of church for 6 months! If the doctor gives a diagnosis, they go picking out their casket! If someone talks about them, they’ll switch 12 churches in 12 months! If they get into an argument with their spouse they’re downloading divorce papers templates! But what they need to do is “…LEARN HOW TO FIGHT IN WAR, just as their ancestors had done. EACH NEW GENERATION WOULD HAVE TO LEARN BY FIGHTING”

TRAINING AND TESTING, IS ONE OF GOD’S IMPORTANT STRATEGIES THAT ENABLE HIS CHILDREN TO SUCCEED IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE!

The Bible says: “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I HAVE TRIED AND CHOSEN YOU IN THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION” (Isaiah 48:10 AMP) People of God, like it or not, Your Affliction is Trying You, But It Is Also Refining You! The word ‘refine’ is defined as ‘to remove impurities or unwanted elements from; to make changes so as to improve.’ And that’s the purpose of God refining you, so He can get out of you everything that’s unlike Him, so He can improve you and make you a better representative of Him in the earth! Refining is for your good! It’s proof that God loves you far too much to leave you as is, especially when He sees so much more in you! Yes, it hurts, yes it’s painful, yes it feels unfair, yes everybody sees your refining process, yes it makes you cry, yes it wakes you up in the middle of the night to enter prayer, yes it’s uncomfortable, but it’s making you into a Warrior That Knows How to Fight the Battles of Life! Not the worrier who only knows how to weep and whine, scared of getting the slightest of battle bruises!

Now, we’re always quick to say that we’re “Chosen”, but God says I’ve “…CHOSEN You IN THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION”! Saints, Your Anointing Has Affliction Added To It, Not Subtracted! You Need Them Both! You Need Anointed Affliction if You are to Become the Warrior God CHOSE You to Be! Which means you have to learn how to handle affliction! Psalm 119:71 says, “It is good for me that I have been AFFLICTED, That I may LEARN Your statutes.” (AMP) However, Venting is not handling affliction, posting on social media is not handling affliction, having a self-pity party is not handling affliction, trying to get the whole church to wipe your crocodile tears is not handling affliction! The only way to handle affliction is to keep your sword sharp which is the Word of God! You need to learn how to fight using the weapon of the Word that’s freely at your disposal! Hebrews 4:12, ” For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (AMP) In other words, when in battle, every word out of your mouth needs to be the Word of God! Matthew 4:4, “But Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’” (AMP) That’s how God’s soldiers fight in His army!  No Word, No Weapon, No Weapon, No Victory! If you are to successfully handle affliction you will need to learn how to go toe-to-toe with the enemy, using the Word of God that stops him in his tracks every time! 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,” (AMP) Affliction should always send you running for the Word of God, that’s your weapon to wield until you attain victory…

BUT, unfortunately…

This Generation of the Church has become pitiful in Spiritual Warfare, and you know why? Because There’s a Whole Generation “…WHO HAS NO EXPERIENCE IN BATTLE” That’s why we cry over everything from a disobedient child to a troubled marriage, to an unexpected health issue or pink slip from the job! Because We Do Not Have Experience In Battle! And guess how GOD HIMSELF said this will be rectified? “…EACH NEW GENERATION WOULD HAVE TO LEARN BY FIGHTING”! So put your cute shoes away and lace up your boots, it’s time to go to battle!                

TRIALS ARE FOR TRAINING YOU TO WIN VICTORIOUSLY! This is why the life of the believer is NOT WITHOUT TRIALS! Ephesians 6:16, “Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (AMP); James 1:2-4, “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.” (AMP) 1 Peter 1:7, “THESE TRIALS WILL SHOW THAT YOUR FAITH IS GENUINE. It is being TESTED as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong THROUGH MANY TRIALS, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (NLT) Your Trials Show Whether Your Faith Is Genuine Or Just a Sorry Form of Godliness, That Lacks Power! 2 Timothy 3:5, “holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.” (AMP) Your Trials Are Your Greatest Teacher Because Your Faith Learns From Them! Every Time You Endure a Battle, Your Faith Gets Bruised…But Made Better! So Stop Having Temper Tantrums and Endure Your Trials! The Bible says, “THESE TRIALS…” ARE SENT SPECIFICALLY TO SEE IF OUR FAITH IS FULL OF POWER OR MERE EMPTY POWERLESS WORDS! Which is why the Bible informs us: “If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place.” (Proverbs 24:10 MSG). Yes, that sounds harsh, but it’s honest! Truth is: We talk real big until small trials come to test our faith and then we find out that we only had words, with no meaning, conviction or power! The purpose of your trials is to test and prove your faith! Again, this is for your good and God’s glory, which should keep you from grumbling! Now, Mustard Seed Faith is Awesome! But you’ve been saved how long now? Shouldn’t your seed have grown and produced a harvest of faith by now? Listen, don’t try to make your faith sound big while you keep holding on to mustard seed faith, year after year! Your faith is to be nurtured so it can grow and experience greater depth and newer levels! Your affliction and trials are helping with that, so stop complaining and learn to fight!

The Bible further records, “They were left to TEST the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which He had given their forefathers through Moses” (Judges 3:4). So before you go crying and complaining about your trials and enemies, know that God Allowed Them Both to Teach and Train You (and the greatest lesson is Obedience)! Israel’s enemies were kept in place, BY GOD, to test their obedience and to mature them in it. And likewise, God is not removing every trial, hurt, pain, unfairness, enemy and doctors report just so you can be comfortable! No, He’s leaving them in place to teach you how to fight and win! He’s teaching you to trust what He said no matter what you see! He’s teaching you to follow Him even when the path, map and directions make absolutely no sense! He’s teaching you to rely solely on Him! Remember, this is all for the good of your maturity, growth and development! Don’t fight the process, fight through the process!

Now, Get It Together and Get Your Gear On! It’s Time for You to Learn to Do Battle!

People of God, like it or not:  BUT GOD ALLOWS CIRCUMSTANCES TO DEVELOP AROUND OUR LIVES TO GIVE OUR FAITH OPPORTUNITY TO BE PROVEN! “Also through Him, we have obtained access BY FAITH into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, BUT WE ALSO REJOICE IN OUR AFFLICTIONS, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces PROVEN character, and PROVEN character produces hope.” (Romans 5:2-4 HCSB) Did you catch all of that? “…WE ALSO REJOICE IN OUR AFFLICTIONS…” WHY? Because Our Afflictions, “PRODUCE ENDURANCE, PROVEN CHARACTER AND HOPE…” In Other Words: Your Affliction Works to Your Advantage! How? The word ‘endurance’ is defined as ‘to suffer something painful and prolonged patiently; to tolerate; to remain in place even if something is hard.’ It’s Latin Origin ‘indurare’ literally means ‘to harden.’ That’s what God is doing on your behalf when He allows afflictions into your life. They are teaching and training you to suffer through something patiently, even if it’s painful and prolonged; it’s teaching and training you to tolerate the suffering with tough skin; it’s teaching and training you to remain in place no matter how hard the situation gets, because God has hardened you to circumstances, so you don’t break even when you’re bent out of shape! Your afflictions are proving that you have what it takes to endure the battle and win the victory. But it’s also working on your character. ‘Character’ is defined as, ‘the qualities distinctive of an individual.’ Its Old French ‘caractere’, from Greek ‘kharakter’ literally means ‘stamping tool’, which is to engrave, mark, brand or give a seal of approval on something. That’s what God does when He sends afflictions into your life to improve your character. He wants you to grow and develop His characteristics in your life in such a way that people can see His stamp of approval on your life. Your character is your brand. It tells people what you stand for and what you will not tolerate. Your afflictions are teaching and training you to maintain good character, integrity and a reputation that is above reproach and one that resembles God’s! In addition, afflictions groom your hope! ‘Hope’, is ‘a feeling of expectation and desire for something to happen.’ It’s directly attached to your faith and both grow when you learn how to expect God to deliver you, even when you see no evidence that He will (Daniel 3:16-18, ” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!” AMP). Your afflictions train your hope and faith to believe God no matter how fierce the battle becomes; no matter what the enemy is saying, no matter what the enemy is doing; no matter how badly you’ve become bruised in battle; your hope and faith are teaching and training you to let nothing and no one distract you from victory! Your afflictions are working for your good because they are training you to endure the battle and win the victorious war!

TRUTH IS: IT’S ONLY WHEN WE’RE TESTED IN BATTLE THAT WE BECOME SKILLED WARRIORS!

Therefore, you might as well get ready because you can be confident God will allow trials to come your way through afflictions such as: a strained marriage, straying children, critical bosses, false assaults on your character, or a difficult friendship that requires unconditional love. HOWEVER, Regardless to how many afflictions come our way, GOD HAS PROMISED US, “MANY are the AFFLICTIONS of the righteous: BUT THE LORD DELIVERETH HIM OUT OF THEM ALL” (Psalm 34:19). So What Are You Crying and Complaining About? There Is NO Affliction That Is Permanent! They Are ALL Temporary! When You Pass Your Training Tests of Trials, “…THE LORD WILL DELIVER YOU OUT OF THEM ALL…”

“So why am I still suffering in affliction?” you ask…Simple: YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SUFFERING, YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE LEARNING! “…EACH NEW GENERATION WOULD HAVE TO LEARN BY FIGHTING” (CEV) So, Stop Sitting Idly By On the Sidelines Waiting For God to Have Pity and Snatch You Out of Your Affliction! Fight While You’re In It Until He Brings You Out of It! Romans 8:37 says, “Nay, IN ALL THESE THINGS we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (AMP) Listen, God Promised to Bring You OUT, But While You’re Still IN it, Know That You Are More Than a Conqueror, So Fight Like It!

You will discover if you have passed the test, or if you need more battles that will give you the opportunity to learn the art of spiritual warfare. BUT DON’T FEAR THE BATTLES! GOD HAS ALREADY GIVEN YOU THE VICTORY, IF YOU CHOOSE COMPLETE DEPENDENCE AND OBEDIENCE ON HIM!  Remember: His Promises Are Iron-Clad! And He Promised:  “MANY are the AFFLICTIONS of the righteous: BUT THE LORD DELIVERETH HIM OUT OF THEM ALL” (Psalm 34:19). Just as school is not forever, neither is your class of trials and afflictions! But you will be left back to repeat if you don’t learn, grow and graduate!

“Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. THIS IS A SPIRITUAL REFINING PROCESS, WITH GLORY JUST AROUND THE CORNER” (1 Peter 4:12-13 MSG) Did you catch that? “…GLORY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER”! And all you have to do is endure your refining process! The word ‘Process’ is defined as ‘a series of actions or steps towards achieving a particular end.’ And your ‘particular end’ is, “…GLORY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER”! So Don’t You Dare Give Up, Give Out or Give In! Keep Going! Glory Is Waiting Just Around the Corner!  

PEOPLE OF GOD: DON’T BE DISCOURAGED IN BATTLES, GOD IS USING THEM TO DEVELOP YOU INTO A GREAT WARRIOR, SKILLED IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE!  NO LONGER A GENERATION WHO HAS NO EXPERIENCE IN BATTLE! BUT NOW A GENERATION THAT MAKES THE DEVIL CRINGE EVERY MORNING WHEN YOUR FEET HIT THE FLOOR TO REMIND HIM, YOU’RE DRESSED IN THE WHOLE/FULL ARMOR OF GOD, AND YOU’RE READY FOR ANOTHER FIGHT! “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but MIGHTY through God to the pulling down of strong holds;” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Cheer up and gear up, because your afflictions are training you to pull down strong holds!

Judges 3:2, “He did this to TEACH warfare to generations of Israelites WHO HAD NO EXPERIENCE IN BATTLE” (NLT). Your afflictions, trials, refining, and fights are all for the sole purpose of teaching and training you for battle! They are skills being added to your spiritual resume, removing ‘no experience’ and instead having ‘a wealth of knowledge in warfare’ added. And just like a resume in the natural realm so it is in the spiritual realm, the more experience you have the greater the opportunities for employment. The more you grow in learning how to handle warfare the more opportunities God will give to you His soldier, because He knows, from experience, you will not retreat but you will return with the spoils of the enemy! Learn what God is trying to teach you and train you, so He can trust you in battle!

“And the Lord had another reason for letting these enemies stay. The Israelites NEEDED TO LEARN HOW TO FIGHT IN WAR, just as their ancestors had done. EACH NEW GENERATION WOULD HAVE TO LEARN BY FIGHTING” (CEV) Did you catch that? “…The Israelites NEEDED to learn by fighting.” The word ‘Need’ is defined as ‘something that is required because it is essential or very important.’ And what is one of our Requirements as God’s servants, stewards and soldiers? 1 Corinthians 4:2, “In this case, moreover, it is REQUIRED [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.” (AMP) And how is God going to prove you as faithful and trustworthy if He can never use trials and afflictions to test you? Listen, I get it, this is not an easy process, refining never is. After all, how often do you find a process that involves fire to be a pleasant experience? So, yes, this is going to burn, and be painful and hard, but the warrior that you will grow and develop into will be worth it all! You will have proven faithful and trustworthy to be used by God, and isn’t that the point? To be positioned to be used by God for purpose, on purpose? Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, READY TO BE USED] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” (AMP)

Well, if that is so, here is your FAITH DECREE: I decree today that I will no longer stumble over my struggles, cry over my crisis, agonize over my afflictions, retreat from my refining process, or have a tantrum over my trials. There is no test given to me, that my God hasn’t already provided the answers to pass.  This time, when my Faith comes out of the Furnace it will be on Fire instead of in Ashes! In Jesus Name I Decree it to be so. Amen. So It Is and So Shall It Be!               

Remember: Trials Turn What You’ve Learned, Into What You Live! So come on soldiers, let’s learn well, train well, fight well and win well!

“All trials are not the reason to give up but a challenge to improve ourselves. Our pain is not an excuse to back out but an inspiration to move on.” (Author Unknown)

“Life will beat you up a lot, so be proud of each and every trial you came through. All your scars from those trials are medals of bravery for not giving up.” (Author Unknown)

“God places obstacles along your journey to prepare you for the blessings that await you at the finish line.” (Author Unknown)

“Trials in life are not meant to make us fail, but to see how far we can fly.” (Author Unknown)

“Don’t let your trials blow you down, let them lift you up.” (Woodrow Kroll)

“Before the fruits of prosperity can come, the storms of life need to first bring the required rains of testing, which mixes with the seeds of wisdom to produce a mature harvest.” (Lincoln Patz)

“A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.” (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)

“From dark clouds we get precious water. From dark mines we get valuable jewels. And from our darkest trials come our best blessings from God.” (Author Unknown)

“Be thankful for your trials. If you’re being tested, you’re being perfected. Which means you have a divine purpose and reason to rejoice.” (Author Unknown)

“Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of.” (Charles Spurgeon)

“Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise physician prescribes because we need them; and He proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires. Let us trust His skill and thank Him for His prescription.” (Isaac Newton)

“You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.” (Mary Tyler Moore)

“What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.” (Oscar Wilde)

“Life’s trials are not easy. But in God’s Will, each has a purpose.” (Warren Wiersbe)

“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for extraordinary destiny.” (C.S. Lewis)

“While you are going through your trial, you can recall your past victories and count the blessings that you do have with sure hope of greater ones to allow if you are faithful.” (Ezra Taft Benson)

“Usually your biggest trials come right before your biggest breakthroughs. Keep pushing on!” (Author Unknown)

“Faith upholds a Christian under all trials.” (John Newton)

“You wouldn’t be who you are without all of the difficult times. Be Thankful, even during the trials.” (Joel Osteen)

“Trials are the soil in which faith flourishes.” (T.B. Joshua)

“Trials do for the Christian what Storms do for Trees. They give us stronger roots and ground us.” (Author Unknown)

“Sometimes Trials are God’s way of taking our hands off of things that aren’t secure and putting them on the only thing that is…HIMSELF.” (Author Unknown)

“Fiery Trials make Golden Christians.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)

“Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise physician prescribes because we need them.” (John Newton)

“I never had a Trial I wanted to have, but I never had a Trial I wasn’t glad I had.” (Jack Hyles)

“God speaks through Trials…Listen.” (Elissa Gabrielle)

“There are some of your graces which would never be discovered if it were not for your Trials.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

Psalm 144:1, “Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my great strength, Who TRAINS my hands for war And my fingers for battle;” (AMP)

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

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“How Well Do You Represent Your Name?”

Acts 4:36, “Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus, who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement.)” (AMP)

My friend Alan lives in Colorado. And if it’s one thing anyone who knows about me knows, I absolutely love Aspen, Colorado, in particular. Another favorite of mine is also the season of Fall. And with Colorado having so many trees, you can only imagine how breathtakingly beautiful it looks in Autumn. Well, my friend Alan, although he loves his home state, is not exactly a huge fan of the trees or the Fall season! You see, one of the good things about Alan’s yard is all the huge, beautiful trees he has. However, one of the really bad things about Alan’s yard is all the huge, beautiful trees he has…especially in the Fall! The problem is, his town requires the bagging of leaves, so they had the exciting challenge of raking and bagging over 100 bags every single year! And as the kids left home, one by one, guess what…Alan’s labor force dwindled to one. And take a wild guess as to the one who was left with the responsibility of raking and bagging all of those leaves? Yep, you guessed right, Alan!

Well, one day Alan was out there raking away – The Lone Raker. And suddenly an angel arrived in the yard. Well no, actually, it was his eight-year-old next door neighbor, Sandra. But in Alan’s book, she must have been an angel! Why? Because she said she wanted to help, and help she did. She raked, she bagged, and then she said, “Any time I hear you raking, I’m going to come over and help!” Alan said ‘this girl must wear specially tailored sweaters to cover up her huge angel wings!’ Well as Sandra was going for another bag, she told Alan why she’d come to help him rake and bag. She said, “My parents told me that my name means ‘Someone Who Helps’, so I’m always trying to do what my name says I’m supposed to do, help.” I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love that! Someone who lives up to their name!

In doing a little research on Sandra’s name, I actually learned that it’s Greek, and means “Helper of Humanity.” I for one can attest she lives up to her name and represents it quite well!

Now, the girl next door has been named Helper, and she’s living up to her name. And truth is, most people usually do live up to the names they’re called…for better or worse. Acts chapter 4, verse 36, the Bible identifies a man who will become a trusted and important leader of the early Christian church. It calls him “Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus, who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement.)” (AMP) Well, later we see Barnabas go into action when the Christians are trying to decide how to handle the most notorious convert they had – Saul of Tarsus; the man who until recently had been the number one persecutor of the followers of Christ. But now he had met Christ.

Here’s what Acts 9:26-27 says, “When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.” (NIV).

Barnabas introduces Saul and opens the door for him to the apostles. Here’s the Son of Encouragement putting an arm around a new believer and giving him a chance when no one else would.

With that said, I wonder how much better our homes, churches, jobs, schools and communities would be, if only we were more like Barnabas? If we encouraged, included, supported, defended and helped others. Instead of joining the critical clan in competing, comparing, and criticizing. And truth is, Saul had a lot against him, and he was the one who put all of it against himself. No one made him do the things he did. He was a horrible man. Yes, that was his truth. But Jesus changed him, therefore who had the right to judge his change? I personally believe we spend too much time talking about who and what someone was, that we miss out on all the great things they’ve become and accomplished since. I mean if your daughter was a straight D student, and then sought out help with tutors, and put in extra hard work, to now become a straight A student…would you continue to throw her past D’s in her face? If your spouse wasn’t as attentive the first 5 years of your marriage, but has been the last 5 years of your marriage, do you hold the first 5 years over their head forever? If they weren’t growing, but now they are, do you keep watering their past weeds, or celebrate that they’ve gotten rid of them? They’re better this year (2019), but do you keep them mentally imprisoned in year 1999?

Just as you deserved a second chance (and that’s putting it mildly, because we’re all on the minimum chance number 1,000,000,000,000…clearly you get the picture), so don’t they deserve the same chance? What if people locked you into the person you used to be? What if they kept throwing in your face your drug and alcohol abuse; your adultery; your fornication; your babies out of wedlock; your 2 baby mama’s and 3 baby daddies; your lying; your stealing; your gossiping; your repossessions; your 4th closed church; your pink slip; your cussing; your prison record; your recovery relapse; your foreclosure; your unemployment; your 3^rd marriage; your overeating; your abortions; your promiscuous ways…would that be acceptable?

What if they continued to throw in your face when you lived in a filthy one room apartment; when you had no money, no food, and no one to help or love you…would that be acceptable?

No, it wouldn’t be, and you wouldn’t like it one bit. Therefore, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you were redeemable, remember that so is everybody else, no matter what they did, who they were, or where they came from! Jesus died for ALL, not just for the ‘acceptable few!’

That’s why I love Barnabas’ response to Saul. Knowing who he was, what he did and where he came from, STILL when he brought him before the people, he spoke of who he is NOW! Why not allow today to be the day you treat others likewise. Stop speaking of their THEN, and speak of their NOW, because you have no idea what great things God can still do for them in their LATTER.

That’s the story of Barnabas’s life. In Acts 11:23 we’re told that the believers (who were almost all Jewish at this point) weren’t sure how to respond to the news that Gentiles were coming to Christ in Antioch. Guess who they sent to check it out? “They sent Barnabas,” it says. “When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord.” What did he do? “Encouraged them all,” what else would you expect from Mr. Encouragement? He Always Represented the Name Whereby He’d Been Called…Do You? Selah…

Let’s read the text in full: “Those who had been scattered by the persecution triggered by Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they were still only speaking and dealing with their fellow Jews. Then some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene who had come to Antioch started talking to Greeks, giving them the Message of the Master Jesus. God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp of approval on it—quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the Master. When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, THEY SENT BARNABAS TO ANTIOCH TO CHECK ON THINGS. As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. HE THREW HIMSELF IN WITH THEM, GOT BEHIND THEM, URGING THEM TO STAY WITH IT THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit’s ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master. Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were for the first time called Christians.” (Acts 11:19-26 MSG)

How phenomenal of a leader and believer is Barnabas? Not only does he exemplify leadership, but also character, integrity, credibility, accountability, and encouragement. And does he take any credit for himself? Absolutely not! In fact, he goes looking for Saul (the one no one wanted to include, encourage, support and help), and he had him to join him in the work of strengthening the church. In a place of persecution, their work for the Lord prospered for the people. It’s in this setting in which disciples are first called Christians, in the midst of one man who simply encouraged all! One man who simply lived up to his name!

Then to take it a step further, later, when Barnabas and Paul have a disagreement on a young missionary named Mark, it’s Barnabas who takes a chance on this young man who actually flunked out as a missionary and he disciples him into leadership. The point’s obvious. Just like Sandra next door in our opening story, Barnabas became what he was called; he did what his name indicated he would do. Sandra helped, Barnabas encouraged. What are you supposed to be doing? Are you doing it?

Example: Daniel means ‘God is my judge’; David means ‘beloved’; Ruth means ‘friend’. And each lived up to their names, but so did Achan whose name means ‘trouble’. What name are you living up to?

Think about it: Do the people around you remember and probably act out the names that they’ve been called growing up? You know as parents I think we forget the power of our words sometimes to make our children feel very big or very small. We call them lazy, or stupid, or rebel, or not good enough. And chances are, that will imprint the tape in their heart and mind and it’ll play back their whole life! Think of how that affected you and how even as a grown up, maybe you’re still playing back those old tapes of what mom or dad said; grandma or grandpa; that sibling; aunt; cousin; coworker; boss; pastor; teacher; coach; neighbor; friend; ex-boyfriend or girlfriend; spouse etc… People have a tendency to become what you call them, much like many of us have had the hurtful experience of becoming what others called us.

For instance, in counseling, there are so many terms that come up that I absolutely detest. Things like: “you’ll never be nothing because your daddy wasn’t nothing”; “you act just like your no good mama”; “his daddy went to jail and he’s on his way just like him”; “her mama got pregnant at 16, just wait and see, the way she act and dress, she’s gonna be just like her”. Those kinds of words, names and labeling are easy to attach, but never are they so easy to detach from! Which is why we should be ever so careful how we label people. Stop calling them: “mean, rude, nasty”, don’t label them with what you wouldn’t want to wear on your own back.

That’s why it’s so important to consistently call people what we want them to become; caring, unselfish, helper, listener, creative, smart, accomplished, better, changed. Even when you see just a flash of a great trait, tell them how much that means to you and others. Celebrate their every improvement, no matter the size of it.

In addition, even our mates tend to become what we call them; our friends and family; the people we minister to. And it’s important to water what you want to grow with positive strokes and sincere praise. Remembering that Proverbs 18:21 admonishes: “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” (MSG). So look for the beauty in each person in your world and speak the beauty, even when you see the ugly. Romans 4:17, “…God who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.” (AMP). Our words are powerful, impactful, creative and life giving, we just have to Choose to use them Wisely! Therefore, no matter how bad it looks in their life, speak good by faith until it manifests! Look for the gifts they have; for a spark of what they could be if someone would just fan that spark into a mighty flame. What you’re really doing is helping a person see the masterpiece and workmanship God made when He made them; the make-a-difference person that Jesus can make them.

Now, as for all of us as believers, we are called Christians. But are we living up to that name? ‘Christian’ in and of itself is defined as ‘a person who has received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and follows His teachings; someone who lives Christ-Like.’ And that term ‘Christ-Like’ is defined as “resembling or showing the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” And “resemble” is defined as “to have a similar appearance to or feature in common with.” Its Old French Origin “resemble”, from Latin “similare”, from “similis” literally means “like”. And if someone were to ask if YOU live your CHRISTIAN LIFE, CHRIST-LIKE, what would be your HONEST response?

After all, Jesus was and encourages us to be:

“Loving” (John 13:1, “It was before the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Jesus knew the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had LOVED His own who were in the world. He LOVED them to the end.” (NLV);  

“Joyful” (John 15:11, “I have told you these things so My JOY may be in you and your JOY may be full.” (NLV);

“Peaceful” (Matthew 5:9, “Those who make PEACE are happy, because they will be called the sons of God.” (NLV);

“Kind” (Ephesians 4:32, “You must be KIND to each other. Think of the other person. Forgive other people just as God forgave you because of Christ’s death on the cross.” (NLV);

“Forgiving” (Luke 23:34, “Then Jesus said, “Father, FORGIVE them. They do not know what they are doing.” And they divided His clothes by drawing names.” (NLV)

“Fair” (Matthew 7:12, “Do for other people whatever you would like to have them do for you. This is what the Jewish Law and the early preachers said.” (NLV)

“Compassionate” (Mark 1:41, “Jesus put His hand on him with LOVING-PITY. He said, “I want to. Be healed.” (NLV);

With that said, if you were accused of being a Christian (Christ-Like), would you be found guilty…or innocent of all charges and characteristics?

I’m personally very thankful for my friend Alan’s neighbor Sandra and for her parents who named their daughter Helper. She was becoming what she’d been called, and you know what? That could happen to the people around you as well. So be sure you call them what Jesus would call them.

You know in preparing this, I thought of Benjamin, when his mother birthed him and what she called him: Genesis 35:18, says “With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune).” (MSG) Can you imagine what people can turn out to be if we call them (not by the past, not by the hurt, not by their failures or mistakes, not by their sin or short-comings, not by their experience, not by our mood or attitude), but by what they can actually become! Benjamin went from being the son of pain, to the son of good fortune, and all because one person refused to allow him to wear a label he was not to be called by! You have the power to change what someone’s been called the same way! Just speak well of them and what they will become!

In fact, a name was so important to God that He even changed Jacobs name: Genesis 35:9-10, “God revealed himself once again to Jacob, after he had come back from Paddan Aram and blessed him: “Your name is Jacob (Heel); but that’s your name no longer. From now on your name is Israel (God-Wrestler).” (MSG) If God can change Jacob’s name, He can change yours and theirs!

Don’t get stuck on how they behave, conduct themselves, what they say and do. Don’t get stuck on their past, their failures and mistakes. Don’t even get stuck in their personality flaws. Because truth is, we ALL have issues, flaws, mistakes and a past. Remember what the Bible admonishes: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A NUMBER OF YOU KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT, FOR NOT SO LONG AGO YOU WERE ON THAT LIST. SINCE THEN, YOU’VE BEEN CLEANED UP AND GIVEN A FRESH START BY JESUS, OUR MASTER, OUR MESSIAH, AND BY OUR GOD PRESENT IN US, THE SPIRIT.” (MSG) Therefore, BEFORE you call, name and label Them…remember…the Bible says: “…A NUMBER OF YOU KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT, FOR NOT SO LONG AGO YOU WERE ON THAT LIST…” Don’t Remember What They Were, and Forget What YOU Were! After all, you don’t want anyone going through the dirty laundry of your past, so stay out of the hampers of others! You are now Clean, so call them Clean too, after all it is the SAME Savior and Word that Washed and Cleansed You Both!

Today let’s start by behaving by the name in which we are called, Christians, who live Christ-Like. Let today be the day we exemplify the fruit of the Spirit that is supposed to be dwelling on the inside of us, or so we say. Galatians 5:22-25, “But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith,  being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.  Those of us who belong to Christ have nailed our sinful old selves on His cross. Our sinful desires are now dead. If the Holy Spirit is living in us, let us be led by Him in all things.” (NLV)

Lastly, I thought of Jabez. The Bible says in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, “Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor. His mother had named him Jabez (Oh, the pain!), saying, “A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!” Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection—don’t let evil hurt me.” God gave him what he asked.” (MSG) In this instance, his name wasn’t changed, but he prayed to God to change what his name represented. He would go from pain, to God’s personal protection. Likewise, for those of you who have spent years struggling and hurting with the names and labels that have been attached to you, the best thing to do is go to God. And like Jabez, despite what They called you (even when it’s family…Selah!), God can still bless you! God is your Maker, so never settle for wearing a Label He didn’t Design for you!

You have been called Christian. You have been called to be Christ-Like. Today, Remember Who you represent, and Whose Name you represent, and Live Up to It! And while You do so, make sure you give that same opportunity and grace to Others as well! Everyone deserves a second chance and a fresh start no matter what they’ve been called by name: liar, cheat, thief, bastard, no good, loser, failure, drunk, stupid, etc.

Which reminds me of a quote that says, “The devil knows your name, but calls you by your sin. God knows your sin, but calls you by your name.” (Author Unknown).

And what new names has God given you? 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (AMP).

God doesn’t call you any less, so make sure you don’t call others any less. 

Never Forget, We Are Called to the Ministry of Reconciliation, Not Retaliation! 2 Corinthians 5:16-20, “Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. WE’RE CHRIST’S REPRESENTATIVES. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” (MSG)

We are God’s Representatives, so let’s make sure that we live up to all His Name Represents! After all, we are Called Christians, after Christ, so shouldn’t we behave Christ-Like (in word, deed, attitude, lifestyle)?

Genesis 1:26-27, “God spoke: “Let us make human beings IN OUR IMAGE, make them REFLECTING our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” God created human beings; he created them GODLIKE, REFLECTING GOD’S NATURE. He created them male and female. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.” (MSG)

This is who we are called to be and what we are called to do. Let’s represent this well! Let’s represent His name well. Let’s represent well the name we’ve been called.

“Whether you realize it or not, people are watching you. Even in small areas, make sure you’re representing God in a great way.” (Author Unknown)

“We are citizens of a different Kingdom, ambassadors representing Christ in a foreign land.” (Randy Alcorn)

“We are called to be ‘ambassadors of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Ours is a ministry of reconciliation. To be an ambassador for Christ means above all to invite everyone to a renewed personal encounter with the Lord Jesus.” (Pope Francis)

“You have the right to do a lot of things, but you have the responsibility to represent Jesus well by loving others.” (Author Unknown)

“If I’m going to represent God I have to do it the best I can.” (Cliff Richard)

“Don’t spend your life trying to be someone else. No one has ever walked the planet who can represent God the way you can.” (Lisa Bevere)

“Wherever you are you represent the Kingdom of God.” (Author Unknown)

“I play to represent God, something bigger than baseball.” (Albert Pujols)

“The God who speaks with utmost integrity must have messengers who represent Him well.” (Haddon W. Robinson)

“You are placed on this earth to represent God. Make sure you do a good job.” (Elizabeth George)

“God calls each of us individually and corporately to represent Christ to the world, but our independence, pride and individualism often prevent us from becoming unified in the work of the Kingdom. When unity takes place among leadership in the Body of Christ, the Lord will respond by pouring out the Holy Spirit and His anointing on His people. We will see more fruitful evangelism, genuine signs and wonders, and an impact on the nation we never thought possible.” (Pastor Mensa Otabil)

“Everywhere you go, if you’re going to call yourself a Christian, you’re representing God.” (Joyce Meyer)

“God specifically created us to be like Him. This is impossible to wrap our minds around, but God created us like Him in some respect and then set us in the midst of this world to represent Him.” (Francis Chan)

“God doesn’t call us to mediocrity. He calls us to a greater standard that doesn’t teach us to tear people down to reach Him, but to lift others up. Be the type of person that when people walk away from you, they know Who you represent.” (Shannon L. Alder)

“I don’t live in this world to give my opinion. I’m here to represent the Word of God.” (John MacArthur)

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

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“Carry God Correctly!”

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

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

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

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

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

When we Hide the Truth, We Give No Reason For Change To The World! We have to remember at all times, Believers Don’t Blend!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Listen: As Christ’s Representatives, We Can’t Afford to Mix God Up in Our Selfish Agendas, BUT We Must Stick to the Bible and Understand How He Wants Us to Walk in This World!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 Samuel 6:6-7, “When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out [with his hand] to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen [stumbled and] nearly overturned it.  And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.” (AMP) Trying to help cost him his life. And all because he put his hands on the ark he wasn’t supposed to touch. An ark that was being carried incorrectly. Can you imagine if that was God’s response to us every time we carried Him incorrectly or represented Him in a manner inconsistent with His Character? How much of the Church would be left alive? Sadly, Uzzah would never have lost his life had the ark been carried correctly in the first place. Saints, we have to remember that there are always consequences to our choices. And if we choose to haphazardly carry God incorrectly, He will chastise the children in whom He loves. But who’s to say what that chastisement might be? And do you really want to compromise and chance it? Truthfully, we’ve all missed out on much due to our disobedience. Not to mention, this side of heaven, we’ll never know how many people we led astray by our contrary behavior.

We preach, teach and pray that these are the end times and the last days. Well, wouldn’t you say then that it’s vital that the church gets her act together? Lives and eternity are hanging in the balance. Our obedience can tip the scales in the Kingdom’s favor. People of God, We Must Stay Obedient to Him In Order to Win the Lost! For We Dare Not Carry God So Carelessly That the World Declares “…You ALMOST Persuaded Me…” (Acts 26:28) ‘Almost’ is defined as, ‘very nearly; borderline; partially; just about; within an inch of.’ And in these last days and end times, is that the report we intend to give to God? That our inconsistent lifestyles of straddling the fence, caused people to miss heaven by a borderline?! People who were very near to accepting You, they were partially there, just about, within an inch of making it in, until they saw how we act out! Listen, I can’t speak for you, but that is NOT the report I intend to give God!

Let’s not lose anymore Uzzahs!

Let’s Carry God the Way He’s Already Commanded Us to. Let’s be His clean, and honorable vessels that He can pour into and out of. Let’s make sure our habits, behavior, attitude, speech, attire, lifestyle choices all reflect a good representation of God. Let’s remember we’re created in His image and likeness, we’re His Ambassadors, we are Christians, called by His Name, we are Disciples of Christ, we are children of God, and representatives of heaven, we are the called out ones, we are the CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD! Now, let’s act like it!

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

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

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“Carry God Correctly!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remember This: Carrying Christ Requires Consistency!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Is Your Walk WORTHY of the COST He PAID?”

Colossians 1:10-13, “That you may WALK (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner WORTHY of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition]. [We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light. [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (AMPC)

I’m a huge Tom Hanks fan, and one of my favorite movies of his is ‘Saving Private Ryan’. In the movie, Tom Hanks portrays an Army captain whose unit is assigned to find a private named Ryan in the dangerous aftermath of the D-Day Invasion. Ryan’s brothers have both been killed in combat, and, unbeknownst to him, he is his mother’s only surviving son. The mission involves the captain’s unit in brutal battles with the Germans. Eventually, Private Ryan is located and his life is saved by his captain who dies in the process. As Private Ryan attends to his mortally wounded rescuer, the captain speaks his last words in a hoarse whisper – “Earn this.” The camera merges from the young private’s face to the face of an old man, standing by a white cross in the cemetery at Normandy. It’s Ryan many years later, near the end of his life. He kneels by his captain’s grave and says: “Every day of my life, I’ve thought about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I’ve done my best. I hope at least in your eyes that I’ve lived up to all you gave for me.“

Now, there’s a man who tried to live his life in light of what was sacrificed for him. I understand that…and I sincerely hope you do too. You see, you and I were paid for with the blood of God’s one and only Son when He died on the cross for every wrong thing we’ve done and will do. Listen as the Scriptures speak:

John 3:16-17, “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.” (AMPC)

Isaiah 53:5-10, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, [yet when] He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living [stricken to His death] for the transgression of my [Isaiah’s] people, to whom the stroke was due? And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick. When You and He make His life an offering for sin [and He has risen from the dead, in time to come], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.” (AMPC)

John 15:13, “No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.” (AMPC)

Philippians 2:6-8, “Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!” (AMPC)

Luke 22:42, “Saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.” (AMPC)

This is the love, life, blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice that were given for US. But what have WE given to HIM?

Like the chorus says, “He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay – I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song, ‘Amazing Grace’; Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.”

Now, unlike the Captain from ‘Saving Private Ryan’, Jesus will never say of His death for us, “Earn this.” Because truth is, we couldn’t even if we tried our absolute best! That’s why He died. There is nothing we could ever do that could pay our sin-bill with God. Jesus alone did it all! Yet, the Bible does talk about living a Life that’s Worthy of the Cost our Savior Paid! Here’s what it says:

“That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord…” First, ‘Walk’ is PRESENT TENSE, letting us know that this is to be done on a Continual basis! Day in and day out we are to walk out this lifestyle of Christ-like Discipleship. Which requires quite a bit of daily discipline.  Secondly, our lives and conduct are to be lived out in such a manner that it is worthy of the Lord Jesus Christ! The word “Worthy” is defined as “deserving or good enough; deserving effort or attention or respect.” Can we honestly say that’s descriptive of our lives and conduct on a daily basis? Are we giving Him what He deserves? Is what we’re giving Him good enough? Is what we’re giving Him reflective of effort, attention and respect? Everyday? In public and private? In church, at home, at work, at school, at the laundry, at the mall, stuck in traffic or in the presence of foes?

The Bible goes on to read, “…fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things…” The word ‘Fully’ is defined as ‘completely and entirely’.  With that as a thought, do we honestly live our daily lives and conduct ourselves in such a way that Christ is Fully Pleased with it and us? And not just our Sunday-Go-To-Meeting ‘Form of Godliness’, but when we’re in traffic and get cut off, is He still pleased with our words, actions and thoughts? Is He pleased with us completely…entirely…and in ALL things? Are we pleasing to Him in how we handle conflict, crisis, disagreements, anger, bad news, disappointments, let downs, even betrayal? Are we still pleasing to Him when someone else gets the pat on the back; the word of encouragement; the support? Are we pleasing to Him when we’re overlooked; under-estimated; under-valued; passed over; ignored or rejected? You see, when we’re pleasing to Him in ALL things, that means the success and the failure; the promotion and the demotion; the marriage and the divorce; financial increase and financial decrease; when the doctor’s report is favorable and when it’s unfavorable; when someone else gets the house while we’re still trying to pay for the studio; when they drive the car off the dealership while we’re scrapping to get coins to go on a Metrocard; when we can keep the utilities on and when they’re cut off? Are we pleasing to Him in our daily lives, no matter the mood, feeling, circumstance, situation, trial, struggle, unfairness, accusation, attack or painful experience? Or are we well over-due for an attitude adjustment that’s more in line with His characteristics?

The Bible goes on to say: “…bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition]…” Are we bearing fruit or are we rotting fruit? Are we doing work for the Spirit or just works of the flesh? Are we steadily growing or stagnant? Are we increasing in knowledge applied to our lives; or just knowledge sitting in the dusty attic of our minds? Are we getting fuller and deeper or are we still shallowed and surfaced? Do we have clearer insight, acquaintance and recognition of the Presence of God or do we just know what we’ve read and heard, yet not experienced by personal encounter with growth and development? How unfortunate that in this day and age of the church we’re growing in titles, positions, degrees, initials, chairs, rings and robes, but if we were asked how are we growing in righteousness, holiness, servitude, humility, obedience, and submission we’d all look like Dysfunctional Kindergarten Adults! When instead we should be able to look back over our lives and see growth, development, and maturity. Our attitudes should be better; our emotions should be better; our discipline should be better; our character and integrity should be better. Marriage says, “for better or for worse”, but as Christians, are we becoming, ‘better or worse?’ Do people look at us and want what we have? Do they see God? Do they hear God? How do we represent Him? How do we present Him? How do we reflect Him?

My mom was a phenomenal cook! But my absolute favorite dish of hers was her baked turkey wings! Now, this is going to sound real fat of me, but what I’m about to say is the truth! Even if I went out to eat and stuffed myself to the brink of passing out, if I dared to walk into my mom’s house and smell those turkey wings…I Promise You, I Would Eat Again! You see, as soon as you walk in the house, the smell draws you in! Which makes me think, are we like that as believers? Truth is, the world has so much to offer, and so much of it is appealing and attracting, but do we present Christ in such a manner that they want Him too? Do we live and walk in such a way that people want the Savior we say we serve? As His waiters and waitresses do we serve Him up well? Do we make Him appealing and attracting? Does the very scent of salvation flow through their nostrils, or does our funky attitudes give off a disgusting stench instead? Can they smell the very scent of Christ on us? Are we attracting or detracting? The word ‘attract’ is defined as ‘to draw in by offering something interesting or advantageous.’ Its Latin Origin ‘attrahere’ literally means ‘to draw near.’ However, the word ‘detract’ is defined as ‘to cause something to seem less valuable or impressive.’ Its Latin Origin ‘detrahere’ literally means ‘to draw away.’ Is our Christian Conduct, Character, Lives and Lifestyles Pulling People Nearer to Christ or Pushing Them Further Away From Him? Let’s be honest now, some people will not receive Christ, and not because of HIM but because of US.

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” (Mohandas Gandhi)

Is this descriptive of us? Have we so warped our walk with God that people aren’t following Him, and not because of Him, but because of US? Believe it or not, but how we live, how we act, how we speak, how we dress, how we behave, matters. We represent and reflect Christ…everyday…everywhere…before everyone!

2 Corinthians 5:20, “So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.” (AMPC) In essence, we are Christ’s Brand! And a “brand” is defined as, ‘a type of product manufactured by a company under a particular name; an identifying mark.’ We function under the name of Christ and our conduct and lifestyles are the identifying mark of Who He is. Acts 11:26, “And when he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year they assembled together with and were guests of the church and instructed a large number of people; and in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” (AMPC); John 13:35, “By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].” (AMPC); Genesis 1:26-27, “God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our Image, after Our Likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in His Own Image, in the Image and Likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (AMPC)

We are Christ’s Brand! We are in His Image and Likeness; We are Christians; We are Believers; We are Sons and Daughters of the Most High God; We are Ambassadors and Personal Representatives of Christ…Therefore, How Do You Think We Should Live? How Should We Act? How Should We Behave? How Should We Speak? How Should We Dress? In a Manner That is Worthy of the Price He Paid!

1 Corinthians 6:16-20, “…Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, SQUANDERING WHAT GOD PAID SUCH A HIGH PRICE FOR? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.” (AMPC) People of God, DO NOT SQUANDER WHAT GOD PAID SUCH A HIGH PRICE FOR! Listen: the word ‘squander’ is defined as ‘to waste in a reckless or foolish manner.’ And Church, our Savior paid to high a price for us to have us in turn treat our life of salvation so cheaply, recklessly and foolishly! Let’s do better, both the Kingdom and the World are watching, listening and taking notes!

Our text goes on to say: “…[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light. [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (AMPC)

Our conduct, lives and lifestyles should produce manifested evidence of being strengthened with all power! Now, does that mean we don’t experience weak moments? Absolutely not, we’re still frail and faulty flesh. However, we should never walk around day-to-day with a defeated disposition and miserable mindset! We are strengthened in the might of His Glory, therefore, let’s sound, act, live and look like it!

Furthermore, we can go to the gym all we want, however, the exercise we need to make sure is a part of our daily regime is to exercise endurance and patience, perseverance and forbearance! Like it or not, we are not exempt from the trials of life because we belong to Christ! John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” (AMPC) So, we’re not to be easily intimidated by trials, tribulations, struggles, suffering, stress, situations or circumstances! So how are we to handle such times? Well, listen to James advice: James 1:2-4, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” (MSG)

Which is why we can move on with the conclusion of our text:

“…with joy, Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light. [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (AMPC) Life’s challenges are not designed to bring out the worst in us but the best! We can face challenges and still maintain our joy give thanks to our Father who has qualified us and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people in the Light. (That’s Talking About Us!) God loved us so much to sacrifice His Son, and His Son loved us so much that He was a Willing Sacrificial Offering, for no man took His life, He laid it down on His own, Just For Us! So We Should Walk and Conduct, Our Lives and Lifestyles in a Manner that is Worthy of the Price He Paid for it! He Paid With His Life, We Honor His Life With Our Lifestyles! The Father delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of Light and Love. Now is the time that we reflect and represent that in our daily lives.

We can never earn what Jesus sacrificed for us. But we can live each day of our life in light of it. Which means we live to please only the One who gave His life for us. Galatians 1:10, “Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).” (AMPC) We are to live in such a manner that we Please Him In All Things Everyday! We are not here to please people, no matter who they are, or think they are. We are here to Please Him! Romans 11:36, “For from HIM and through HIM and to HIM are all things. [For all things originate with HIM and come from HIM; all things live through HIM, and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in HIM.] To HIM be glory forever! Amen (so be it).” (AMPC) In case you didn’t catch it, It’s All About HIM, Not Us, Not Them…Just to Please HIM!

2 Corinthians 4:7-12, “If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!” (MSG)

And because of that, no cross should be too heavy for you to bear for Him. No demand He makes could possibly be too much. No sacrifice you make for Him can be too great. Not after what He sacrificed for you! Not after what He paid because of what it cost. Your life wasn’t paid for at a discount price, no half off, no buy one get one free, no deals, no coupons. But Full Price Life and Death Was the Debt He Didn’t Owe…But Paid In Full! Therefore, Jesus deserves better from us than a discount discipleship! You don’t have to visit a grave to remember what you owe Him – He’s not there anyway. But each new day, in your heart, visit that cross where the Son of God loved you and gave Himself for you. And then, with a heart full of love and gratitude, live that day to please Him.

Today’s Selah Moment is Simply This: “Is My Walk Worthy of the Cost He Paid for it?” Remember, No One Can Answer This But You!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “What You Should Know About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?”

 

“You’re There for a Reason!”

Esther 4:12-14, “When Hathach told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai sent her this message: “Don’t think that just because you live in the king’s house you’re the one Jew who will get out of this alive. If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this.” (MSG)

Before she passed away last year, me and my mom had quite a few things in common, but the one thing we had most in common (especially after the last 5 years of health challenges for her), is that as a general rule, neither of us like to do hospitals! Oh, we’ll visit other people in hospitals, but we don’t like to stay in them any longer than necessary. Truth is, God has blessed me with wonderful health over the years, and I am indeed extremely grateful. However, I do remember a time when I had such an intense bout with the flu that I ended up badly dehydrated. The doctor was concerned enough about me that he put me in the hospital, yeah, put me in the hospital to stay for a short time, actually, to get re-hydrated with intravenous fluids as he put it. Now I’ve got to tell you, I was not a happy camper when they told me they were going to admit me to the hospital. Oh, I tried to be nice on the outside, but inside I was far from nice. My thoughts, inner words, mood and attitude were horrible! That was until one of my dear friends came to pay me a visit. And she did something absolutely cruel, in my book anyway. What was it? Well, she reminded me of something I said to her once or twice when she was unfortunately admitted to the hospital. (See, I hate this! I hate it when my own words come back to haunt me! Because I can’t argue with me!) Anyway, she said to me, “I will never forget your words….you said, ‘even in this place, even under these circumstances, remember who you are and remember why you’re here.’“

Don’t you just hate that? Well, tough cookies! When you encourage people (even with tough love), sometimes you have to open your arms and embrace that tough love yourself. I remember the last time my husband was admitted to the hospital (prior to this year), he was so mad he couldn’t go home. Not to mention the horrible food didn’t make it any better. And of course, there I go sharing the wisdom of the words I would have to digest myself, “’hun, even in this place, even under these circumstances, remember who you are and why you’re here.” Which by the time he was discharged, his whole demeanor would as always be noticeably different. After all, how could it not, when he would have so much time to witness and share the love of the Word of God he has always possessed? You see, even while going for testing of his own, he would still encourage his roommates when they were on their way for their testing. If anyone asked for prayer, they received it without delay. And only because even though he didn’t like where he was, he remembered who he was, and what he was there for.

So clearly, I couldn’t complain when I was admitted to the hospital because God gave me a tremendous opportunity to sow some Gospel seed in the hospital staff while I was there; the hospital I in “no way” wanted to be in. But as I finally woke up to the fact that I had been assigned there by God, I began to take advantage of the opportunities to show and tell about the love of Jesus. One nurse even wanted a copy of all my devotionals! She said, “You know, it’s been really good having you here. Just think of the influence you’ve had on all us heathen.” Naturally I laughed, and said, “No, not heathen, just people God loved so much that He sent His Son to die for you. And then sent me, His daughter, to share with you about Him.”

You see, what helped me see what was really going on in my undesirable situation was that challenge, which was actually the Mordecai Challenge. Maybe you’re a candidate for the Mordecai Challenge where you are right now. And if you are, take a listen to the challenge found in Esther 4:12-14, it’s where we find a Jewish young woman named Esther providentially placed in the position of being Queen of Persia. No one knows she’s Jewish, and she’s in this great position which her Cousin Mordecai is asking her now to totally lay on the line.

In a palace plot, Esther’s people-God’s chosen people-have been targeted for annihilation. Only Esther was in a position to get to the king and plead for the lives of her people. But the law called for anyone who went unbidden into the throne room of the king to be put to death. And Esther hasn’t heard from the king for a month. Now here’s that Mordecai Challenge, “…Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this.” (MSG) Varying translations say it like this:

“And who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this [AND FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE]?” (AMP);

“But who knows? Maybe it was FOR A MOMENT LIKE THIS that you came to be part of the royal family.” (CEB);

“It could be that you were made queen for a TIME LIKE THIS!” (CEV);

“And who knows, maybe you have been CHOSEN to be the queen for such a time as this.” (ERV);

“who can say but that GOD HAS BROUGHT YOU INTO THE PALACE FOR JUST SUCH A TIME AS THIS?” (TLB)

The Mordecai Challenge is this, maybe where you are right now is for: “this very purpose; a moment like this; to be chosen as the very one that God has brought to this place, in this position, for such a time as this…to save the lives of many?”

And I know many of us want our ‘PURPOSE’ to be great, but what if our purpose to serve is in a painful (not preferred) place? Many of us are waiting for our ‘MOMENT’ to arrive, but what happens when your most effective moment for ministry occurs during misery? Many of us want to be ‘CHOSEN’, but what happens when our being chosen comes with an assignment we didn’t want to be called to? Many of us want God to open doors and bring us into great places, but what happens when the place God brings us to is the very place we’ve been trying to run away from?

Listen, I’ll be the first to tell you that my greatest moments in ministry have happened during the worst times of my life. And yet, knowing that the Will of God for my life is being fulfilled does make those painful moments all the more worth it. Reminds me of Paul:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then He told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size – abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” (MSG)

How amazing that with all the gifts we seek after in God, one of the greatest of the gifts is “…THE GIFT OF A HANDICAP TO KEEP ME IN TOUCH WITH MY LIMITATIONS…” When is the last time you thanked God for THAT GIFT?! When is the last time you, “…BEGAN APPRECIATING THE GIFT…”? When is the last time you gave God Glory for this GIFT? A gift that keeps you humble, dependent, and serving others, instead of being self-serving. The gift that keeps you from boasting, arrogance, pride, conceit, comparisons and competing. The gift that keeps you in a vulnerable weak state so that God’s Strength can be put on display instead of your Greedy desire to be Great. The gift that makes you appreciate it even in the midst of “…ABUSE, ACCIDENTS, OPPOSITION, BAD BREAKS…” You see friends, you being placed in a precarious position of pain is designed for you to remain in use as a good and honorable vessel of the Lord, pouring out His Goodness, His Word, His Gospel, His Name, His Greatness, His Testimony into the lives of those who will be saved by it, this is the reason you’re where you are today! Sometimes God lifts you up into high positions so you can get a better view of those living in low places. Therefore, the position is not so others can see you, but so you can see others who need a hand getting back on their feet. So don’t get lost in loftiness, your positioned there not to push yourself up but to pull someone else up.

My friend, you are where you are for a reason. So, don’t complain and don’t attempt to get out of it before your time! James 1:2-4, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” (MSG) You are where you are for a reason, so don’t try to get out of position prematurely! You’ll only forfeit the blessing that comes with maturity, and that is this: “…Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” Believe it or not, but sometimes God’s abundance comes from you being able to handle being put in between a rock and a hard place, and yet you remain there and do ministry! You are going to come out of this mature, well-developed and lacking nothing, that should be enough encouragement to endure your hardness as a good soldier!

Listen: Even Paul got to a point where he learned to stop focusing on the handicap and instead started appreciating the gift. And you need to learn to do likewise. Stop focusing on the pain, the hurt, the loss, the betrayal, the gossip, the discouragement, the abandonment, the loneliness, the failure, the disappointment, the grief, the anger. And instead start appreciating that God gifted you even in places such as these! You don’t lose an ounce of your anointing because of attacks. Those are in fact the best places to continue to serve God, because it says in essence, “I trust God even in this!”

Example: Daniel 3:16-18, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” (MSG) You have to reach this place in God where you KNOW He can deliver you, and yet maintain the conviction that even if He doesn’t, I’ll still serve Him and not Satan nor my Circumstances! You can’t grow having circumstantial conviction! You can’t believe God only when it’s good, you can’t believe God only on the mountain. You have to determine to believe and trust God no matter what curve ball life throws you to knock you off your game!

Listen to Jesus speak: Matthew 26:52-54, “Jesus said, “Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don’t you realize that I am able right now to call to My Father, and twelve companies—more, if I want them—of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?” (MSG) You see saints, as believers, angels have been given a charge where we’re concerned: Psalm 91:11-13, “He ordered His angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path.” (MSG) And though we have all of this at our disposal, there are still times in which God will NOT deliver us because He’s using us as lifeboats to rescue someone else! Why is He using us in the storms of life? Because we’ve proven to Him that we’re anchored in Him! That’s why you have to learn how to trust and rely on God even when you’re in a position that looks like it will cost you your life!

You have to grow and mature into a place that says I’ll serve Him even though He slay me! Job 13:15, “I will continue to trust God even if He kills me…” (ERV) Are you at that place of trust? Will you trust God regardless of the diagnosis, the disease, the length of the depression, the divorce, the demotion, or the disagreement? Will you still trust God that He has your best interests at heart even when they lay you off, the kids stray, the finances dwindle to dust? Will you continue to trust God even if your loved one does not receive the healing? Will you still trust God when the church doors close, the house forecloses, the car is repossessed and the business goes belly up? Will you still trust God like Paul? Will you still trust God like Jesus? Will you still trust God like Job?

Luke 22:42 says, “He walked away, perhaps a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed this prayer: “Father, if You are willing, please take away this cup of horror from Me. But I want Your Will, not Mine.” (TLB) Will you trust God enough to follow His Will, His Word and His Way, even if you’d rather jump ship?! Do you trust God enough to continue to follow His plan even while you’re experiencing so much pain? Do you trust God enough to continue to pursue His purpose for your life though you keep running into problem after problem? Do you trust God enough to stay on track even when life keeps trying to derail you? Do you trust God enough, like Jesus, that in the very thick of your heartache, you kneel in prayer instead of prostrating in a self-pity party? Do you trust God enough to ask Him to take the cup of horror away from you, but if it’s not His will, you’re content enough to drink it?

Listen, I’m not telling you this is easy, by far it’s been the hardest thing I have had to do in my life. But I will say this, I don’t regret it for one moment. Because like my husband, and my dear friend, I had the opportunity to be laid up in the hospital with sickness, but I also had the opportunity to pray with others, to share the promises of God, the salvation, healing and deliverance of God, the peace and joy of God. I had the opportunity even in my suffering to see someone else smile. Isn’t that worth it?

My friend reminded me of my own words, “Even in this place, even under these circumstances, remember who you are. Remember why you’re there.” Esther realizes she has been placed where she is to save lives, and she risks hers to rescue them. And her people live because of it. Right now, God may be saying to you about your situation-where you work, where you go to school, the sport you’re in, the club you’re in, the neighborhood you’re in, the jam you’re in, “You have been put in this position for such a time as this. Use that position to tell people about My Son.“

I guess in a sense, we’re all Esther. God has placed us where we are in order to save some lives there; lives that Jesus died for. And God has put those people within your reach through your situation so you can rescue them. So…..how are you doing on the real reason you’re there?

People of God, Never let a Moment of Misery cause you to lose sight of your Monumental Ministry given to you by God! Always Remember: You Were Rescued to Reconcile! 2 Corinthians 5:16-20, “So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way.  Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].  But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] AND GAVE US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION [SO THAT BY OUR EXAMPLE WE MIGHT BRING OTHERS TO HIM], that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. AND HE HAS COMMITTED TO US THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION [THAT IS, RESTORATION TO FAVOR WITH GOD]. SO WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, AS THOUGH GOD WERE MAKING HIS APPEAL THROUGH US; WE [AS CHRIST’S REPRESENTATIVES] PLEAD WITH YOU ON BEHALF OF CHRIST TO BE RECONCILED TO GOD.” (AMP)

That’s our job church, to employ more people in the Kingdom of God! To reach them, encourage them, help them find restoration and redemption. We are assigned to bring life to a dying soul. We are to bring eternity to those who have no idea just how short the hour of salvation has become. That’s why we can’t afford to get distracted in the last days. There are too many souls on their way to hell instead of heaven because the church is too consumed with her own hurt! But we have no time to wallow when there are so many souls that are wounded and need healing from the only One who can Mend the Broken-Hearted!

We can’t get caught up in rings, robes, titles, positions, promotions, elevations and the like, when so many souls are still at stake. Whether we’re in poverty or prosperity; whether we’re in the pulpit or the pew; whether we’re happy or hurting; it’s all irrelevant when we’ve been giving a charge to keep! And yes, sometimes we will be called to fulfill that charge in pain, in hurt, in disgust, in betrayal, in failure, in suffering, in trials, in tribulation, in frustration, in confusion, in sleepless nights, in sickness, and yet, we still have to keep the charge. I even love the fact that God doesn’t snatch us out of every painful moment we experience because sometimes reconciling people requires you being able to relate to people, and truth is there are very few, if any people, walking around completely pain-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 12 months and 366 days a year!

Think about it: When you’re children or your marriage is in trouble, do you really want to talk to someone who has never had any issues in this area, or would you prefer to speak with someone whose been here, and can show you how to go through and come out of it?

Look at it like this: Not one of us would take our car to a baker when it’s in trouble; we don’t take our plants to the zoo when they’re dying; we don’t go to the museum when the house is on fire. In other words, we take the issue to the appropriate person and place to get it fixed, restored or healed. And believe it or not, but you are that person and place for someone. Someone needs your fractured pieces to become whole. When you go into the hospital it’s not because you need to be there, it’s because God needs you to be there for someone else. He needs you to be His mouth, His hands, His feet, His soothing and comforting and encouraging presence that all will be well. You are where you are for a reason, and that reason is to be a Glimpse of God in someone else’s Gloom. When you show people that you don’t have to throw in the towel when tough times come, but that you can wipe your blood, sweat and tears, and remain in the fight, and even win it, that’s powerful! That’s encouragement, empowerment, inspiration, that’s purpose, that’s ministry! You are where you are so you can tell someone else: “NAY, IN ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM THAT LOVED US.” (Romans 8:37) The New Living Translation says it like this: “NO, DESPITE ALL THESE THINGS, OVERWHELMING VICTORY IS OURS THROUGH CHRIST, WHO LOVED US.” (NLT) You are where you are to prove to those who are suffering in bondage, that God doesn’t even have to bring you OUT, He can bless you and make you a more than conqueror even while you’re still IN! You are where you are to encourage someone in knowing that despite all these things, God is still able!

So don’t walk out on the marriage just yet (your children are watching and listening); don’t leave the church just yet (the people of God are watching and listening); don’t quit the job just yet (the bosses and coworkers are watching and listening); don’t go into despair in the doctor’s office or the hospital (other patients are watching and listening). Your actions, words, and attitude show people how to go through and get through and not give up, give out, or give in. Many will follow your lead. Show them how to take it to prayer, show them how to praise and worship even with it, show them how to dance and sing even if you’ll cry later, show them how to rest in the Word of God no matter what the newspapers say from day-to-day. Show them your life of faith!

Church, people (saved and unsaved) are watching us and listening to us, let’s not mar the image and likeness of God that we are. Let’s not murmur, grumble or complain. Let’s not have a pity party or live in a mansion of misery. Let’s show them how to keep showing up!

God has placed us where we are for a reason, it is not by accident and it is not without purpose and a plan. Therefore, don’t just sit there “Esther”, but take a stand and do something that will better the lives of many.

Esther 4:15-17, “Esther sent back her answer to Mordecai: “Go and get all the Jews living in Susa together. Fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, either day or night. I and my maids will fast with you. If you will do this, I’ll go to the king, even though it’s forbidden. If I die, I die.” Mordecai left and carried out Esther’s instructions.” (MSG)

And 4 chapters later, with the very same verses reads:

Esther 8:15-17, “Mordecai walked out of the king’s presence wearing a royal robe of violet and white, a huge gold crown, and a purple cape of fine linen. The city of Susa exploded with joy. For Jews it was all sunshine and laughter: they celebrated, they were honored. It was that way all over the country, in every province, every city when the king’s bulletin was posted: the Jews took to the streets in celebration, cheering, and feasting. Not only that, but many non-Jews became Jews—now it was dangerous not to be a Jew!” (MSG)

Church, it’s time we get to work, because there are people, countries, provinces, states, cities, and nations just waiting for us to remember Why We Are Here…to Fulfill the Great Commission! And unlike our jobs, we don’t get to use vacation, personal and sick time so that we can clock out and check out on ministry. We don’t get snow days. Conditions Should Never Compromise Our Commission, Call or Conviction! We are to be about our Father’s Business like never before. So, let’s clock in and work like we know the last hours are truly at hand…because they are! We are here for a reason, and it’s for the People’s Souls Not Our Personal Success, don’t lose Sight of that!

You Are There For a Reason!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Eat Your Water!”