Standard – Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

“The Importance of Foundation”

Posted on 6 Jul 2021 by Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

Isaiah 28:16-17, “But the Master, God, has something to say to this: “Watch closely. I’m laying a foundation in Zion, a SOLID granite FOUNDATION, squared and true. And this is the meaning of the stone: a trusting life won’t topple…” (MSG)

It’s said that when Michael Eisner, head of the Disney Corporation, had plans drawn up for a house, one wall was so thin it almost buckled under its OWN weight.

Likewise, another software billionaire’s house had pine siding that rotted BEFORE the house was even completed.

So, were they just too busy to notice the inferior materials being used? Or were they careless in who they hired for the construction and faulty in overseeing the laying of a proper foundation?

Architects say that people find construction details boring; they’d rather spend their money on glitzy stuff instead. They focus on the light fixtures, the desired wallpaper, the carpeting, and what colors to use in each room as opposed to if a storm hits, is the foundation fortified enough to keep this house from floating away like Noah’s Arc?!

The problem is that people fail to understand that it’s the foundation that determines the strength, stability, and ultimately the longevity and value of the house. A ceiling fan in the bedroom, central A/C, and a patio to barbecue on are irrelevant if the house collapses because you cut corners in its construction! Well, as it goes for a house, so it goes for your Character. Which is why you should take the time to ask and answer the following for yourself: Am I putting all of my efforts into maintaining an inferior ‘image’ while I neglect putting into place the foundational blocks that will fortify my character such as my attitude, integrity and responsibility to fulfilling my God-given purpose?

Listen: We have enough people giving the appearance of a leader and the appearance of character, and the appearance of a lifestyle that exemplifies that of Christ-Likeness. But what happens when the act has to end and you have to step out of the character you’ve been portraying and now you have to face the reality of life with all of its real challenges, not the Hollywood scenes you’ve rehearsed for the audience? Will the REAL YOU be able to remaining standing, or will the façade (defined as: ‘a deceptive outward appearance’) fall?

Listen to Jesus’ words: “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are FOUNDATIONAL words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25 MSG).

Houses built on sand are quick, cheap and easy; they provide temporary comfort and instant gratification. And sadly, this has become the norm for believers lives today. We want everything quick, cheap and easy! We want a marriage without prayer, preparation or pre-martial counseling (not to mention you don’t clean and can’t cook); we want children when we have no savings put aside to ensure they will have milk, pampers, a crib, and an actual room to call a nursery (not grandma’s old sewing room, because you can’t afford anything else); we want a brand new car when we can’t keep a metro-card filled from week-to-week, we want a house with bad credit, 20 year old debt, and a credit score that’s too low to rate! We want a promotion and have yet to proven to excel at the current job level, we want a building with no blueprints, a business with no plan, a ministry with no calling and an anointing with no adversity or affliction. We want online degrees, credits, and credentials, because that’s easier than having to physically sit under someone and have them adequately critique us by what they See not just what we Say and Write. We want everything quick, cheap and easy, but we forget how the sandcastle crumbles: “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” (Matthew 7:26-27 MSG). That’s the price you pay for quick, cheap and easy, are you sure it’s worth it?!

HOWEVER, building on rock is hard; it takes time, effort, foresight and perseverance – but the results are worth it because they’re lasting! Whether it’s a marriage, mother/fatherhood, a business, ministry, church or friendship, when you take the time and build it accordingly, it will outlast the storms of life! Which is why most marriages, yes even Christian ones, don’t last! We can be so desperate to change our “status” from single to married; barren to mother; high-school drop-out to Doctor of “Anything”, that we will literally settle for Anything! As long as I can have a quick turn-around, overnight it will be worth it. Well, I beg to differ for many reasons, but for one in particular, I’m a Witness That This NEVER Works!

For me, PERSONALLY, it wasn’t about marrying the wrong man, but it was about marrying at the wrong time! When me and my husband wed, we both had so much baggage from our previous relationships that it was just about impossible to build a new life with old, damaged materials. We had health challenges, financial restraints, and 6 children to figure out how to raise in one 2 bedroom attic apartment. Not to mention living in Queens, but having work and church in Long Island, and all with no car! We entered into something permanent without properly handling the temporal challenges that weren’t easy but possible to change for the better. So a good part of marriage was miserable because we didn’t do as the Scripture says:

“One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.“IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO, PLANNING TO BUILD A NEW HOUSE, DOESN’T FIRST SIT DOWN AND FIGURE THE COST SO YOU’LL KNOW IF YOU CAN COMPLETE IT? IF YOU ONLY GET THE FOUNDATION LAID AND THEN RUN OUT OF MONEY, YOU’RE GOING TO LOOK PRETTY FOOLISH. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘HE STARTED SOMETHING HE COULDN’T FINISH.’ (Luke 14:25-30 MSG)

In other words, we never sat down to figure the cost of building a new life! We didn’t figure in where to live; what we could afford; how were we going to get around; where would the children go to school; will we be able to feed 8 mouths; what happens if one of us loses our job (which did in fact happen to both of us at the same time, from the same job); what happens if one of us is disabled due to one of our health challenges? What will we do to send 6 children, who are all back-to-back in age) to college just about at the same time? Will we be able to afford health coverage for a family of 8?!

We did not count the cost, we did not plan, we did not prepare, we did not try to figure anything out. And we “ran out” of many things, many times, because we did not lay a proper foundation. Are we still married? Yes, almost 21 years and running. How are our children? Great, educated and employed. Do we have any regrets? Absolutely! Because we still face challenges today, because of all we didn’t properly prepare for yesterday!

I share all of this with you because so many are unfortunately looking for an easy way out of just about everything! And like it or not, but a new spouse, church, clothes, hairstyle, affair, substance abuses, job promotion etc… can’t fill the void of gaps in a cracked foundation. Quick, cheap and easy, doesn’t last, but pacing yourself, taking your time, persevering, putting in hard work and counting up the cost, in advance, gives you a better return on your future investments.

So, don’t try to buy the house and car tomorrow, don’t try to drive off the parking lot today, don’t try to get a 10 year degree in 10 months, don’t try to get pregnant just yet, don’t quit the job prematurely, don’t change churches…again! Wait, sit down, take your time, be patient, draw up a plan, have a back-up plan in place, get the right construction workers to work with you, make sure you have proper backing, and all of your papers in order, then proceed wisely and cautiously. You don’t want a 2 year marriage to end up in divorce court; you don’t want children that you have to depend on the state to feed, you don’t want to go to the wrong school and get the wrong degree, that doesn’t get you into the right job. You don’t want to leave the church that feeds you for a church that eventually causes you to become spiritually malnourished.

Now, if you’re not sure what kind of house you’re building it’s really easy to find out, all you’ve got to do is just watch what happens when the storms of life hit! Because evidence that you built on sand is when you can easily walk out of the marriage, children, church, job and school because of a few drops of rain on a cloudy day! You see, a house built on rock will withstand the same storm that levels those built on sand! The marriage may not be smiles every-day, but it will last; the children may not be perfect, but they’re progressing; the church may push you to want to switch religions some days, but stick it out, growth often comes in the midst of struggles; the job may not give you the promotion you desire or even deserve, but it yet provides a paycheck that keeps you from standing in line waiting for a cot and a cup of soup at the homeless shelter and soup kitchen; school can oftentimes make you wonder if your brain even works, but remember even if what it took them 2 years to get, takes you 10, it will be worth it, because you didn’t throw in the towel. You stuck it out and made it work, and that’s what rock builders do, they work hard, they sweat hard, and many days they cry hard; but they eventually enjoy the spoils of victory from surviving life’s hardest battles!

Simply stated, there are no shortcuts! And the word “short-cut” is defined as “an alternative route that is shorter than the one usually taken”; or the secondary definition I prefer calls it, “an accelerated but somewhat irregular way of doing something.” And the word “irregular” is defined as “contrary to a rule and standard.” And what’s our rule and standard? “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are FOUNDATIONAL words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—BUT NOTHING MOVED THAT HOUSE. It was fixed to the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25 MSG). Our standard is that of excellence! We do not go the way that is quick, cheap and easy, but we plan, prepare, work hard, and build what is solid and lasting. We’re like the athlete that trains hard and wins! The Bible says it like this, “You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.” (1 Corinthians 9:25 MSG). We do nothing for momentary gratification, but we live lives that will leave durable legacies built on strong, solid, fortified foundations fixed to the Rock!

Remember this: Character is the result of Commitment, Consistency, and Building According to the Principles of God’s Word. When you make these the Foundation of Your Life you’ll make it through Any Storm in Life!

Build a solid life that will outlast your life! That’s what legacies are all about!

However, in order to attain this, you have to make sure you’re building with the right materials on the right foundation. And what are the right materials? Prayer, the Word of God, fasting, patience, faith, trust, hope, humility, wisdom, obedience, perseverance, the Voice of God, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost and the like. And we use all of this to build on what foundation? Jesus, the cornerstone that can never be moved! If you want a life, family, ministry, church, business, marriage that doesn’t topple over, use these materials and build only on the foundation Jesus has laid! Then, when the storms of life hit, you’ll remain standing! Be the Smart Builder not the Stupid One; Be Wise and Not Foolish; Build On What is Solid Not Sandy; and Then You’ll Have What Stands and Never Falls!

“But you, dear friends, must build up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit.” (Jude 1:20 TLB)

“Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.” (1 Corinthians 3:9-15 MSG)

“Afflicted city, storm-battered, unpitied: I’m about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise, Lay your foundations with sapphires, construct your towers with rubies, Your gates with jewels, and all your walls with precious stones. All your children will have God for their teacher— what a mentor for your children! You’ll be built solid, grounded in righteousness, far from any trouble—nothing to fear! far from terror—it won’t even come close! If anyone attacks you, don’t for a moment suppose that I sent them, And if any should attack, nothing will come of it. I create the blacksmith who fires up his forge and makes a weapon designed to kill. I also create the destroyer— but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what God’s servants can expect. I’ll see to it that everything works out for the best.” God’s Decree.” (Isaiah 54:11-17 MSG)

“That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.” (Ephesians 2:19-22 MSG)

“Meanwhile, God’s firm foundation is as firm as ever, these sentences engraved on the stones: God knows who belongs to him…” (2 Timothy 2:19 MSG)

“Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent: Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it. To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him, The stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone. For the untrusting it’s…a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way. They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.” (1 Peter 2:4-8 MSG)

And I tell you, you are Peter [Greek, Petros—a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra—a huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it].” (Matthew 16:18 AMP)

PEOPLE OF GOD, WHETHER IT’S YOUR LIFE, MARRIAGE, FAMILY, MINISTRY, CHURCH, BUSINESS, OR CHILDREN, THE FOUNDATION MATTERS, THE FOUNDATION IS IMPORTANT, THE FOUNDATION IS ESSENTIAL, THE FOUNDATION IS VITAL, LET NO ONE TELL YOU DIFFERENT!

John Ruskin said, “The highest reward for man’s toil is not what he GETS for it, but what he BECOMES by it.”

And when you take the proper time to use the right materials and build on the right foundation, the highest reward for your toil is not pats on the back, awards and special announcements. No, your reward is becoming a believer who knows how to build on a foundation that stands! And that’s the greatest reward this side of heaven!

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

Feel free to join us at: http://www.chefshermainesbiblecafe.home.blog Today’s Chef Special Word: “REBEL”

LETS STAY CONNECTED!

Daily Dose With Dr. Shermaine: https://dailydosewithdrshermaine.wordpress.com

Facebook: DrShermaine Franklin-Sanders
Instagram: dr_shermaine / chef_drshermaine

LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/dr-shermaine-y-franklin-sanders910019142/
Twitter: Dr_Shermaine
Pinterest: drsys321

“It’s Time to Clean House”

Posted on 2 Jul 2021 by Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

John 2:13-17, “When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength. Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! STOP TURNING MY FATHER’S HOUSE INTO A SHOPPING MALL!” That’s when His disciples remembered the Scripture, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE CONSUMES ME.” (MSG)

Growing up, one of the most disorganized rooms in the entire house was the garage. You see, that was my dad’s domain. Truly the original man cave. Everywhere you turned, there was evidence, without a shadow of a doubt that proved this garage belongs solely to the man of the house. It was filled (or better yet cluttered and congested) with tools (after all he was a mechanic); wood (since we had a fireplace in the living-room) so dad chopped wood at 4am and stacked them (in no particular order) in the garage. There were oil cans, gas cans, beer cans, soaked rags with who knows what that should have caused the house to explode at any given moment. There was dad’s work boots and work clothes. A raggedy black and white little television, and a beat up little radio that I believe only had 3 stations. In other words, the garage was a nightmare! Now, if it stayed just dad’s nightmare that would have been fine. However, the day I got in trouble at school, dad’s nightmare…became mine.

You see, me and some friends had the bright idea that each of us would stand at a different fire drill alarm post in school and at a certain time, we would all pull the alarms at the same time (no idea why we thought having all of us pulling a different alarm was supposed to do something completely different than setting off the same alarm system…guess you could call it the stupidity of youth – sounds like a pretty good diagnosis!). But needless to say, I didn’t think through where I chose to stand to pull my alarm. Why do I say that? Because I picked the alarm right next to detention! A tad-bit prophetic don’t you think? You see, that’s what you call pure brilliance at its best! So, as if I have to tell you how this ended, the dean caught me, brought me to the principal’s office and called dad! Detention would’ve been a blessing compared to dad’s genius idea of a punishment. Allow me to explain: Mom was driving dad nuts about straightening up the garage before the holidays when family and friends would be visiting, and finally (due to my mental disorder called stupidity of youth), he had just the person to get her off his back. You guessed it, ME!

Now, I must admit, it took me a good while to get up the courage to clean up dad’s garage. But, it might have taken you time to do it too, if you had seen what shape it was in! I mean, there was the general accumulated “mess” that hadn’t been touched for a while. And then there was the mess left from his friends that asked him if they could store their stuff there. On top of that, different members of our family had been going, and borrowing and returning, and borrowing and returning, and oh my goodness the mess was everywhere from everyone! Rakes, garbage bags, lawnmowers (broken and fixed alike), radiators, wires, dog chains (and a few dogs), chairs with 3 legs, tables with 1, it was a wreck!

If I had to give it a name it would be “Mount Mess”! And there it was right in front of me (and only me). So, since, unlike my dad, I had no one I could delegate this assignment to, I go and get on my “work” clothes, go downstairs, take a deep breath and I almost turned around and gave up at the first sight of it. Truthfully, my first thought was, “How about I just torch it?” But no, I figured that would indeed get me into more trouble. So, the only solution was to suck it up and clean it up. But the question that depressed me even more was one that you’ve probably asked while facing a “Mount Mess” of your own, “Where Do I Start?“

That’s usually the first question that comes to mind. And if we would dare look at the Mount Mess that the House of God has become, we would have to ask ourselves that very same question. I mean, how did we allow so much of the world to get into our worship? What happened to our pure motives and intentions? What happened to living right, clean, godly and holy? What happened to sacred garments and sacred music? When did pollution enter our praise and repentance exit our prayers? When did it become acceptable to dress any kind of way, talk any kind of way, act any kind of way and live any kind of way? When did it become okay to curse, steal and lie in the House of God? When did we start justifying fornication and adultery as “strongholds and struggles”? When did pride, arrogance, conceit, comparisons and competition become the order of the day? When did slander, mockery, rumors, gossip, belittling, and backbiting get approved in the House? When did taking money out of the House become more important than sowing tithe and offering in it? Who gave the green light for the preachers to be posted and propped up on pedestals, with cushioned strategically placed seating? When did God become a visitor in His own House, while pomp and circumstance moved permanently in? When did the House of God become so filthy? And who will be the ones to clean it up?

Since we learn by repetition, let’s take a look at our text again shall we? John 2:13-17, “When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength. Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! STOP TURNING MY FATHER’S HOUSE INTO A SHOPPING MALL!” That’s when His disciples remembered the Scripture, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE CONSUMES ME.” (MSG)

I’ll tell you what’s incredible about this text. This is Jesus’ first appearance in Jerusalem. And yet, people love to say first impressions say a lot. Well, Jesus made a pretty good first impression, didn’t He? He’s going to the big city. So, you’d think He’d want to make a nice, positive impact there when He arrives, right? Come on, you know how we do, we love to be impressive. We don’t want to ruffle any feathers. We want to look good, show off our good side with our good clothes and good looks. We want to put our best foot forward. We want to say the right things, do the right things, and act the right way. But notice what Jesus first act is. It’s not a miracle, it’s not a healing, and it’s not a sermon. It’s an indignity – an attack – against sin in God’s House!

Now, you and I are living in a world that morally resembles my dad’s un-cleaned garage – it’s a spiritual mess. Sex has been divorced from love and commitment. Speaking of divorce, it’s the most common “answer” for marital problems today. Lying is so common you pretty much expect people not to be telling the truth. There’s the garbage permeating our media input, and it just goes on and on. So, when do we start cleaning, and where are we going to start cleaning?

Well, being that Jesus’ reaction was so extreme, might I suggest we START BY CLEANING UP OUR FATHER’S HOUSE FIRST? After all, that’s where Jesus started! And according to the Word of God, that’s where it will always start!

Listen to 1 Peter 4:17, “For the time has come for judgment to BEGIN at THE HOUSE OF GOD…” (NKJV)

Listen: I didn’t go to my neighbor’s house to clean their garage. No, I was assigned to clean the garage IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE! Now, does that mean I couldn’t help my neighbor with his/her garage? Absolutely not. However, it must BEGIN WITH MY FATHER’S HOUSE.

Now, I know there’s a great deal we as believers can do to help to improve this world and make it a better place. But we can’t clean the outside of the cup and leave the inside dirty; nor can we clean up the world while the House of God is filthy! Our God has Set the Standard, and the Standard is ORDER! 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For…God is NOT a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and ORDER. AS [IS THE PRACTICE] IN ALL THE CHURCHES OF THE SAINTS (GOD’S PEOPLE)” (AMPC) His Standard is Order, Therefore, Our Standard is Order! And Cleaning House Begins With His House! We Need to Clean From the INSIDE…Out! Matthew 23:25-26, “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the INSIDES are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the INSIDES, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.” (MSG)

People of God, it’s not enough to “look good”, or “look clean; look holy; look righteous; look godly.” After All, Looks and Appearance Mean Nothing! 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) Haven’t we been holding on to this “form” long enough? Looking regal on the outside while rotting on the inside. Trying to build up the world while the House of God is demolished by our own hands. Propping up the world, while the Standards of the House of God fall down. Saints, we need to begin with us! Cleaning Our Father’s House! Cleaning from the INSIDE…Out! And brothers, Jesus is your example, because HE Started Cleaning the Father’s House First!

See, we’ve become amazingly casual about sin. Oh, we’re against it, but we flirt with it and we see how close we can get to it. We read about it, we watch it being portrayed, we laugh about it, and we allow creeping compromise to erode what was once a much higher standard in our lives just a short time ago. But Jesus however, takes a whip to sin when it’s tolerated in His Father’s House, and guess what? Just as the physical building we go to, to attend church; WE are also the Temple of God! We are also His House! So while we’re cleaning up the building, let us not forget to also clean our temple! 1 Corinthians 6:16-20, “There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. 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.” (MSG)

Sounds like we’ve got a lot of cleaning to do! The House of God (the building) and the Temple of God (us) both need some serious cleaning up and out!

The performance needs to be whipped out of the House of God and the perverseness needs to be whipped out of the Temple of God! Bad attitudes; poor communication; vengefulness; spitefulness; anger; deceit; bitterness; resentment and the like all need to be whipped out of the House of God! Bad decisions; unholiness; addictions; habits; unhealthy thoughts; disrespectful speech; dishonoring conduct; wrongful emotions; unforgiveness; illicit sexual behavior all need to be whipped out of the Temple of God…Us!

See, the Bible says we’re the temple of the Holy Spirit; He lives in us. Now, you may look righteous compared to the rest of the people around you, but your standard isn’t them. It’s the personal holiness standard of Jesus Christ Himself. Oh, sure, we should fight the decay in our lost world, but we should turn most of our guns on our own sin – our own compromise. Truth be told, many people are not considering Christ because they’ve never seen an alternative in someone who is really living for Christ demonstrating the difference.

And how does this tie in to Men cleaning house? Well, Jesus, Fully Man, was the one who started cleaning up and out our Father’s House, and therefore, I believe it’s high-time that Men take their rightful place and do the same. Oh, we’ll call on the men to fix something, move something, lift something, open something, but what about having men reset the Order of the House? Does that mean women have nothing to do? Absolutely not. However, I believe in our Father’s Order, and Men should still sit at the Head of the Table in the House. I believe a great movement in the House would take place should men start moving. And know this, Jesus didn’t gather the disciples, no, He went in and cleaned house Himself. And likewise brothers, you don’t need a crew, squad or team. Just make your commitment to Christ personal and refuse to allow anyone to trash your Father’s House. Clean up the ugly and untrue image that men are just sagging and hanging on corners slinging drugs and shooting guns. That they’re all dead beat dads, unfaithful husbands, and trifling boyfriends. Some say not all men are dogs, but I say no man is one. Dogs are animals on four legs, men are imperfect humans on two. It’s behavior that needs changing and standards that need raising.

Men of God, you are needed in the House of God to Reset its Order. To show our daughters what to look for and look up to; to show women that there are men who protect their women; to show the community that you care about its well-being; to show laity you know how to be humble as leader and show leadership that you know how to follow. Be the example of a praiser and worshiper. Lead out prayer. Expose sin; shut down gossip; kill jealousy; and prove that there are some Men in the House of God that will not allow the House to become Dirty!

And this will require work on your behalf. Read the text: “…Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and CHASED them out the Temple, STAMPEDING the sheep and cattle, UPENDING the tables of the loan sharks, SPILLING coins left and right…” Jesus did not take this lightly! He “…CHASED…CAUSED A STAMPEDE, UPENDED TABLES AND SPILLED COINS LEFT AND RIGHT…” In other words, this is not a polite, “please stop doing these things in my father’s house, thank you.” Uh, nope! He had a whip and a mission to clean up and clean out His Father’s House! Men, you need to be on the same Mission! It’s not going to be easy to do, but it still needs to be done and done by you. The House of God needs to look like the House of God, and not one that Rents out Rooms to the World to live in! No, Be Men Who Clean House!

Jesus didn’t tell them to just stop what they were doing, but listen: “…He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” They Were Put Out the House! And men, you need to be just as diligent about your Father’s House. Don’t let anyone come in the House of God and think they can do anything they please. Let them know as soon as they cross over the threshold, you can come as you are, but you can’t stay that way! Lift the standards in the House that compromise will not be tolerated; disrespect will not be tolerated; dressing any kind of way will not be tolerated; talking and acting any kind of way will not be tolerated.

But at the same time, you can’t set a standard that you’re not living up to yourself! Therefore, you have to be the example on display of what Men of God look, sound, and act like. You lead the way. Give them something to emulate. Show them how it’s done in the House, then show them how to carry that outside of the House and into their own. When you lead them well in the House, it will be a double blessing that teaches them how order ought to be set in their own.

Jesus did not sit on the sidelines murmuring and complaining and pointing fingers about what was going on in His Father’s House. No, He took action and did something about it and you are charged and challenged today to do the very same. As the disciples discovered, “…Zeal for Your house consumes me” (MSG), that needs to be the passion of the Men of God in the House of God today.

We have enough men desiring to be Ordained in the House of God, but not enough desiring to set and maintain the Order of the House!

Will you take on the responsibility for raising the standards in the House of God, and making sure that no one comes in to lower them? Will you be the one to set the example of proper leadership in the House (even if you don’t receive a title)? Will you be the one to call sin, sin? Will you be the one to address those who are out of order in the House? Will you be bold enough to confront, correct, and chastise? Will you be the Body of Christ that lends its Members to the Housework of Cleaning Up the House of God?

Remember, He’s coming back for ONE Body, ONE House, ONE Church, and anything or anyone Unclean and Unholy Will Not Be in the Number!

Before I close, there’s one other thing that caught my attention, and that’s where the Scripture says, “…Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” Sadly, that is quite descriptive of the House of God today. Some of everything is on Display…except the Glory of God. Which is why Jesus Himself stepped in. Think about it, the Scripture says, “…When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple TEEMING with people…” The word “teeming” is defined as, “to be full of or swarming with; to be of great numbers or amounts of something.” Its synonyms are: “abounding, abundant, bursting, crowded, filled, full, jam-packed, loaded, saturated, stuffed, clogged, congested, overcrowded, and over-flowing.” My question then becomes, how could there be this many people in the temple, during the Passover Feast, and no one but Jesus noticed, cared or addressed the filth in the Father’s House? And many of us go to churches with a good number of seats filled, and yet no one is addressing the filth in the Father’s House. We no longer have any more room to even contain the elevated, promoted, entitled, weekly ordained to some new position preachers, teachers and leaders, and yet, the house is still unclean. Vestments are Spotless While the Vestibule is Sinful! No one is bothered, no one is upset, no one thinks anything needs to be done? Have we become so comfortable and content, even in sin, that it doesn’t prick our heart or conscious any longer? Have we become so hard-hearted (and hard-headed) that anything goes in the Father’s House? We’re supposed to render to God a Sweet Smelling Sacrifice of Praise, and yet we’ve allowed both Pulpit and Pew to become Putrid instead! And what does that mean? ‘Putrid’ is defined as ‘decaying or rotting and emitting a fetid smell; very unpleasant.’ Its Latin Origin ‘putridus’, from ‘putrere’ literally means ‘to rot.’ That’s what the House of God smells like when disobedience, sin, compromise, unholiness, and uncleanliness are allowed to sit week after week in the Sanctuary.

Men of God, let today be the day that you throw on your overalls and your work-boots and get to work in cleaning up and out the House of God. Jesus did, and certainly you are men after God’s own heart aren’t you? Find your zeal for the House of God, and let it consume you to the point you have no room left for compromise (not from yourself or anyone else)!

Let today be the day that Men Clean House, and watch what happens when Order becomes the Order of the Day again!

Feel free to join us at: http://www.chefshermainesbiblecafe.home.blog Today’s Chef Special Word: “SCEPTER”

LETS STAY CONNECTED!

Daily Dose With Dr. Shermaine: https://dailydosewithdrshermaine.wordpress.com

Facebook: DrShermaine Franklin-Sanders
Instagram: dr_shermaine / chef_drshermaine

LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/dr-shermaine-y-franklin-sanders910019142/
Twitter: Dr_Shermaine
Pinterest: drsys321

“It’s Time to Clean House!”

Posted on 19 Feb 2020 by Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

dose

Now, you and I are living in a world that morally resembles my dad’s un-cleaned garage – it’s a spiritual mess. Sex has been divorced from love and commitment. Speaking of divorce, it’s the most common “answer” for marital problems today. Lying is so common you pretty much expect people not to be telling the truth. There’s the garbage permeating our media input, and it just goes on and on. So, when do we start cleaning, and where are we going to start cleaning?

Listen to 1 Peter 4:17, “For the time has come for judgment to BEGIN at THE HOUSE OF GOD…” (NKJV)

Sounds like we’ve got a lot of cleaning to do! The House of God (the building) and the Temple of God (us) both need some serious cleaning up and out!

And how does this tie in to Men cleaning house? Well, Jesus, Fully Man, was the one who started cleaning up and out our Father’s House, and therefore, I believe it’s high-time that Men take their rightful place and do the same. Oh, we’ll call on the men to fix something, move something, lift something, open something, but what about having men reset the Order of the House? Does that mean women have nothing to do? Absolutely not. However, I believe in our Father’s Order, and Men should still sit at the Head of the Table in the House. I believe a great movement in the House would take place should men start moving. And know this, Jesus didn’t gather the disciples, no, He went in and cleaned house Himself. And likewise brothers, you don’t need a crew, squad or team. Just make your commitment to Christ personal and refuse to allow anyone to trash your Father’s House. Clean up the ugly and untrue image that men are just sagging and hanging on corners slinging drugs and shooting guns. That they’re all dead beat dads, unfaithful husbands, and trifling boyfriends. Some say not all men are dogs, but I say no man is one. Dogs are animals on four legs, men are imperfect humans on two. It’s behavior that needs changing and standards that need raising.

We have enough men desiring to be Ordained in the House of God, but not enough desiring to set and maintain the Order of the House!

Remember, He’s coming back for ONE Body, ONE House, ONE Church, and anything or anyone Unclean and Unholy Will Not Be in the Number!

Let today be the day that Men Clean House, and watch what happens when Order becomes the Order of the Day again!

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

Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “23 Best Foods For Fiber”

Feel free to join us at: http://www.chefshermainesbiblecafe.home.blog Today’s Chef Special Word “MESSIAH”

LETS STAY CONNECTED!
Daily Dose With Dr. Shermaine: https://dailydosewithdrshermaine.wordpress.com
Facebook: DrShermaine Franklin-Sanders
Instagram: dr_sys
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/dr-shermaine-y-franklin-sanders910019142/
Twitter: Dr_Shermaine
Pinterest: drsys321
Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DrShermaineYFranklinSanders

“What Is Your Heart Entertaining?”

Posted on 20 Nov 2019 by Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

dose

1 Corinthians 10:6, “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our HEARTS on evil things as they did.”

‘Channel Surfing’ is an interesting term. You see, it refers to the practice of skipping from one channel to another to see what’s on each one. Drives my husband crazy! Although growing up, when there were only a few channels to select from, I didn’t surf so much. After all, how much surfing did 7-8 channels require? And believe it or not, but even of those 7-8 channels, my parents still didn’t allow me to watch a good 3-4 of those! But look what cable and satellite did! I mean today, you’ve got hundreds of thousands of channels to view at any given moment, at any time of day or night!

Look at it like this: For every topic you can think of, in every language you can think of, in every nation you can think of, there are hundreds of channels to surf, if not more! It’s unbelievable just how limitless channels have become! And with such a diversity of channels while you’re surfing, you may get a glimpse of a sports channel, a travel channel, a food channel, a movie channel, a reality show channel, an adult channel, a music channel, a kids channel, a nature channel, and of course a home shopping channel. Increasingly, however, if the truth be told, even with such a variety of channels, a lot of what you’ll come across in your surfing is raunchy, ignorant, and unhealthy!

Or maybe you can’t stand country music or you fall asleep watching someone cook, or you don’t care about sports. Whatever the case may be, it’s okay. You see, you can’t decide what gets aired on each channel, but it’s totally up to you what channel you deliberately decide to watch!

Let’s picture for a moment our heart as a TV set with lots of channels offering you lots of options to focus on. With that in mind, let’s read the admonishment of 1 Corinthians 10:6. And pay close attention, because God is talking here about some of His Followers from earlier generations and the tragic mistakes they made, that He clearly doesn’t want us to repeat! Here’s what it says: “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our HEARTS on evil things as they did.” The Amplified Bible says it like this: “Now these things are examples (warnings and admonitions) for us not to desire or crave or covet or lust after evil and carnal things as they did” (AMP). Then the Message Bible states it like this: “The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did – “First the people partied, then they threw a dance.” We must not be sexually promiscuous – they paid for that, remember, with 23,000 deaths in one day! We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving Him; they tried it, and God launched an epidemic of poisonous snakes. We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them” (vss. 6-10 MSG).

That was their fatal mistake. Before they did anything wrong, they first set their heart on something evil. And what does the Bible then say? “…The same thing could happen to us…” Which is why we have to be so careful what channel we set our hearts on. We could repeat their bad performance if we don’t set our heart on good channels! Which is why it behooves us: “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.” (Proverbs 4:23 MSG). Your very life can start and stop based off your heart!

Even Jesus says: “You, too? Are you being willfully stupid? Don’t you know that anything that is swallowed works its way through the intestines and is finally defecated? But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. It’s from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing. That’s what pollutes. Eating or not eating certain foods, washing or not washing your hands – that’s neither here nor there.” (Matthew 15:16-20 MSG). Do you see all that comes out of a bad heart? “…evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing…” All that evil and pollution comes from your heart being set to the wrong channel! Therefore, don’t you think it’s time you change your heart channel? Amazing how all that evil coming from a bad heart is the very things we rush home to watch on television! Selah…

Listen to the Word yet again: “The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45 AMP). You can’t even fake having a good heart, because the goods in your store will tell on you! A good question to ask yourself: Is the substance of my heart revealing that my storehouse is bankrupt or bountiful?

Saints, your heart matters! And the channels you decide to set it on matters! Remember, your very life starts and stops via your heart! So wouldn’t you want to set it on good channels so your life can continue to flow?

Truth is, a lot of channels flash across the TV of your heart each day. And many of them you can’t afford to stop and watch – like any image, input or opportunity that encourages or feeds your sexual lust; as if your lust needed any more strengthening! You may not be able to help the fact that a sexual input flashes on the screen. But you can decide whether or not it stays on your screen. This is why it’s so important to know your triggers. For instance, some may be able to restrain from coffee, until they get a whiff of some that is! They didn’t think two cents about coffee until they smelled it. In other words, it didn’t matter until their smell sense was affected. Likewise, some can watch a swimsuit commercial, and think that’s cute and move on. While others will struggle with their imagination and fascination, which can very quickly and easily shift to experimentation! But again, you have to remember: THE REMOTE IS IN YOUR HAND, AND YOU HAVE FULL CONTROL OF WHAT YOU WATCH AND WHAT YOU CHANGE!

Don’t Allow Your 5 Senses to Contaminate Your Common Sense!

For example: You can’t afford to dwell on anything that feeds your anger, when anger is a stronghold for you. With that in mind, you may want to avoid shows that talk about violence. For some, you can’t afford to dwell on anything that feeds your depression. Think about it, why would you watch sad dramas about someone giving up on life and ending theirs? You can’t handle that, so you don’t watch that! For others, you can’t afford to dwell on silly sitcoms that laugh at marital spats over small stuff, because you struggle with complaining and nagging. Therefore, you don’t want to use a character in a sitcom to attempt to justify last night’s argument with your husband or wife. Furthermore, for others something that feeds on worry is not a show you want to focus on. Think about it: Why would you watch fear factor, or shows about a person drowning or crashing in a plane, right before you’re about to go on a cruise or fly out of state? And we certainly don’t need to mention shows about materialism, when your ‘spending problem’ is about to be a bankruptcy, foreclosure, lose your family problem! And if you have a bad habit (as we all do) you don’t want to watch shows that glamorize it! For instance, if you struggle with drinking, “Cheers” is not a show you want to watch! A show about a bar where the people just sit around drink and laugh as life goes by, is not your channel to watch. I don’t think that’s a good idea, do you?

Think about it, maybe that’s why you’ve continued to struggle and why you continue to lose so much in that part of your life because you keep feeding it. You can’t keep feeding and nourishing something that you need to die! You keep stopping to watch and listen to a channel that’s feeding the dark side of you and your light will become dimmer and dimmer by the day. Remember this: You only feed what you want to nourish so it grows. Which is why we feed our faith and starve our fears! One we want to live, one we need to die! Likewise, you have to be careful about what you watch, because it’s feeding your inner and outer man! Remember the Word of God: “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things] – these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]” (1 John 2:16 AMP). You have to be careful of what your eyes behold! Your flesh loves to be entertained, don’t let it make a clown out of you!

Change the Channel of Your Heart if You’re Watching What Could Wreck Your Life!

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, God gives real practical advice on how to beat a temptation that keeps beating you. He says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (NIV) The Amplified Bible says it like this: “For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.” (AMP). And then the Message Bible puts it simply like this: “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; He’ll always be there to help you come through it” (MSG).

In other words, there’s no such thing as an ‘Irresistible Temptation’ in the life of a child of God! How do I know that to be true? Because the Bible clearly said, “…But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out…” Those are the words, “…a way out, so that you can stand up under it.” There is nothing you are tempted to go IN, that God hasn’t already provided a way OUT of! Just like channel surfing, you can’t use the excuse, especially in this day and time, that “there’s nothing to watch”. There’s much to watch, and in my opinion, Too Much! However, the remote to your heart is always in your hand and as such, in your power and control to change. No blaming, no excuses, no loopholes, no pointing fingers, no false justifications. Your heart is your responsibility! And there is no temptation that you HAVE to watch!

So the temptation channel comes on. You didn’t choose that, but God says, “There’s a way out.” Know where your exits are, like they say on the airplane and the movie theaters. Know how to choose something else, know how to immediately switch the channel. Know how to escape! And using wisdom is when you pre-choose your exit before the temptation ever arrives. In other words, “I know what I’m going to do if something pops up, because I’ve already prepared myself for it, just in case.” Which means there will be times that you have to get real creative. For instance, if you know alcohol is a struggle, stop going down that same block to get home after work. You know the block where you pass 2 liquor stores before you get to the bus stop?! Take another block; start to check your phone until you know you’ve passed it; call someone to talk to who can distract you until the moment passes. These are not cures for alcoholism, but when you know you have a struggle, you have to be proactive in your own life, health and deliverance. Listen, a woman on my job who’s over-weight and trying to change that, takes an apple with her to snack on when she goes out to pick up lunch. She said the apple reminds her to get something healthy for lunch, even though she has to pass by McDonalds and Burger King. And for her, something that simple has led to her successfully losing 15 pounds thus far. In other words, God handles His part in healing us and delivering us. However, we have to be participants in our own healing and deliverance too. He did not make us mindless. He gave us intelligence and discipline for a reason, to use them! Therefore, take some time this week to write down what your struggles are, then next to them write down some creative ways you can adopt to help you keep your life, heart, and character clean and good!

Another note to keep handy: When you change the channel, change it quickly! That’s how commercials get you hooked! They know that people channel surf, so they have to quickly entice you with their first few opening words, and those opening words are usually something visually seductive! Think about it: What is the purpose of making a Liquid Plumr commercial sexy? It’s for the toilet, the sink or a clog, and yet they’ve managed to make it look like a sexy 2-minute drama! Watch it often enough and you’ll find yourself at the grocery store buying Liquid Plumr for a problem you don’t even have! If you want to buy a car, do you really think you’re going to get the sexy, half-naked blonde on the hood to be thrown in as an added bonus? They’re all traps, and it’s up to you to escape the trap! And how do you do that? According to the Word of God, you go to GOD! He alone provides you with a way of escape.

WARNING: When you sit and stare too long, you don’t want to escape, even when an escape is provided! DANGER!

You know how defeated you feel every time that temptation wins, how dirty you feel, how ashamed, how guilty? It’s a despairing thing to keep losing to it don’t you agree? Well, when people who feed the wrong side of you pop up on your screen or the music or the feelings or the opportunity to fall again, switch the channel immediately. Don’t set your heart on it. Find a channel where Jesus is and set your heart to focus on Him. Does that mean you have to watch Gospel all day and night? No! There are some really good shows on, you just have to set your standards and don’t let the stations change them!

Remember: You Control the Remote to Your Heart, So When You Need to, CHANGE THE CHANNEL…Quickly!

Remember what happened to our ancestors who DIDN’T change the channel! The Bible says: “The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did – “First the people partied, then they threw a dance.” We must not be sexually promiscuous – they paid for that, remember, with 23,000 deaths in one day! We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving Him; they tried it, and God launched an epidemic of poisonous snakes. We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them” (vss. 6-10 MSG).

Don’t allow your heart being set on the wrong channel to destroy you! Keep Your Heart Pure, Uncontaminated, Clean and Good. Your LIFE Depends On it!

Exodus 20:17, “No lusting after your neighbor’s house—or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don’t set your HEART on anything that is your neighbor’s.” (MSG);

Deuteronomy 4:9, “Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don’t forget anything of what you’ve seen. Don’t let your HEART wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live. Teach what you’ve seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.” (MSG);

Deuteronomy 10:14-18, “Look around you: Everything you see is God’s—the heavens above and beyond, the Earth, and everything on it. But it was your ancestors who God fell in love with; he picked their children—that’s you!—out of all the other peoples. That’s where we are right now. So cut away the thick calluses from your HEART and stop being so willfully hardheaded.” (MSG);

1 Samuel 16:7, “But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the HEART.” (MSG);

Psalm 119:9-16, “How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my HEART so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, God; train me in your ways of wise living. I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you’ve done it. I relish everything you’ve told me of life, I won’t forget a word of it.” (MSG);

Ezekiel 36:24-28, “‘For here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new HEART, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone HEART from your body and replace it with a HEART that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God!” (MSG)

“If God changes your heart, be willing to change your plans.” (Author Unknown)

“Sometimes God doesn’t change your situation because He is trying to change your heart.” (Author Unknown)

“You change your life by changing your heart.” (Author Unknown)

“You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That’s the only thing you should be trying to control.” (Elizabeth Gilbert)

“Change, not to please others, but because your heart is in the wrong place.” (Author Unknown)

“In the deceitfulness of our hearts, we sometimes play with temptation by entertaining the thought that we can always confess and ask forgiveness. Such thinking is exceedingly dangerous. God’s judgement is without partiality. He never overlooks our sin. He never decides not to bother, since the sin is only a small one. No, God hates sin intensely whenever and wherever He finds it.” (Jerry Bridges)

“Be careful of what you entertain. Sin fascinates before it assassinates.” (Author Unknown)

“Only God can save a person. Only God can forgive and forget our sins. Only God can change the human heart. But only you and I can believe.” (Greg Laurie)

“Two of the most powerful words I can utter in my prayer time, ‘Change Me.’” (Author Unknown)

“The Lord knows very well that you cannot change your own heart and cannot cleanse your own nature. But He also knows that He can do both.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

“The circumstances we ask God to change are often the circumstances God is using to change us.” (Max Lucado)

“I want to change my circumstances, God wants to change me.” (Rick Warren)

“There was a time when people went to church, heard the truth, and wept over their sins. Today…people go to church, hear a motivational speech, and ignore their sins.” (Ron Smith)

“Temptation is not a sin but playing with temptation invites sin.” (Fulton J. Sheen)

“Hate Sin! Instead of loving it, cleaving to it, excusing it, playing with it, we ought to hate it with a deadly hatred.” (J.C. Ryle)

“A sinning man will stop praying, and a praying man will stop sinning.” (Leonard Ravenhill)

“Sin then is not a toy with which to play but a terror to be shunned.” (Billy Graham)

“Fighting sin and its desires and still staying around sin, playing with sin and fraternizing with sin is like standing under the rain and not expecting to be drenched.” (Uty Abia)

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

Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Guide to Natural Cleaning”

Feel free to join us at: http://www.chefshermainesbiblecafe.home.blog Today’s Chef Special Word “FOREVER”

“Uncompromised Faith!”

Posted on 14 May 2019 by Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

“If we are thrown into the flaming furnace, our God is able to deliver us; and he will deliver us out of your hand, Your Majesty. BUT IF HE DOESN’T, PLEASE UNDERSTAND, SIR, THAT EVEN THEN WE WILL NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have erected.” (Daniel 3:17-18 TLB).

Facing the fiery furnace, the three Hebrew children refused to compromise their BELIEFS or change their BEHAVIOR. In other words, regardless to what others Say, it will in no way alter what HE has Said; and regardless to how you may ACT, my CONDUCT as a CHRISTIAN will remain UNCOMPROMISED! Can you imagine the effectiveness the Church would have today if this was a Daily Standard for Living? Reminds us of the admonishment found in: Romans 12:1-2: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (MSG).

How different might we be if we stopped compromising just so we can be the same as everybody else? Remember that’s how Israel got in trouble with Saul, wanting to be like everybody else! 1 Samuel 8:4-9, “Fed up, all the elders of Israel got together and confronted Samuel at Ramah. They presented their case: “Look, you’re an old man, and your sons aren’t following in your footsteps. Here’s what we want you to do: Appoint a king to rule us, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. When Samuel heard their demand—“Give us a king to rule us!”—he was crushed. How awful! Samuel prayed to God. God answered Samuel, “Go ahead and do what they’re asking. They are not rejecting you. They’ve rejected me as their King. From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they’ve been behaving like this, leaving me for other gods. And now they’re doing it to you. So let them have their own way. But warn them of what they’re in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they’re likely to get from a king.”” (MSG)

You have to be real careful with blending in, and compromising your character and integrity. It’s dangerous to want to be like everybody else! Israel wanted a king and got one, but they had no idea that the king they desired would behave in such a manner as to lose the kingdom. And when you attempt to be the world’s missing piece to their puzzle, you will always have a distorted image, a blurred vision, and ultimately you will forfeit becoming the masterpiece of workmanship that God had desired of you from the beginning of time! Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].” (AMP).

Are you really willing to compromise and make the bad mistake of missing out on the good life that God has prearranged for you, just so you can fit in and be like everybody else? I think not!

Which is why I love the Hebrew boys so much. They were Unbending, Unyielding, and Uncompromising! Are You?

Listen to what they told the king, “…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.” (Daniel 3:17-18 MSG)

With the words, “…EVEN IF HE DOESN’T…”, they took their faith to a higher level! You see, they knew God COULD prevent it, but not that His plan called for it in this instance. However, their CONVICTION was so powerful that they would still rather DIE than Deny or Disappoint their God! Is your conviction that steady, strong and secure? Are you in a position of faith that you refuse to possess the faltering faith found in the book of James 1:5-7: “If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. ONLY IT MUST BE IN FAITH THAT HE ASKS WITH NO WAVERING (NO HESITATING, NO DOUBTING). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. FOR TRULY, LET NOT SUCH A PERSON IMAGINE THAT HE WILL RECEIVE ANYTHING [HE ASKS FOR] FROM THE LORD.” (AMP)

So, is your Faith Firm or Faltering?

Truth is, faith does not guarantee that God will bring you OUT of everything you’re IN! I know believers don’t want to hear that, but it is the truth. Think about it: Many of us have had our faith strengthened by watching someone else go through, even when they didn’t come out!

Listen: One of the things I cherish most is pastoral counseling. However, some of the hardest times I’ve experienced at it have been in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabs, and hospices. Places where holding on to hope is often a difficult task. After all, who wants to sing when the doctor just amputated their leg? Who wants to dance when the Oncologist says its cancer? Who wants to rejoice when the surgeon says their heart is beyond repair? Who wants to praise God when they’ve come home to an eviction notice? Who wants to bow down in worship when you have a mortgage, car note, and tuition and yet you received a pink slip right after lunch? Wouldn’t you agree that these aren’t exactly the ideal situations that make us want to sing, dance, rejoice, praise and worship?

But believe it or not, ministering in these places I’ve come across some serious faith fire starters! Like Mama Cane in hospice who said she refused to die before her 90^th birthday, so she made her family give her a birthday celebration in hospice. And when did she die? When she was 90 years old by 3 days. She never wavered. She said both her parents died too soon, and she was determined to make it to 90! I asked her why 90? She said simply, “I don’t know really, I just feel like you’re really old when you get into triple digit birthdays?” I couldn’t laugh with her then, but I laughed later when I realized she was teaching me how to GO THROUGH, even if I don’t COME OUT!

Ms. Michelle who had diabetes so bad they amputated both her legs would say to me every Saturday, “when you get to church tomorrow you make sure you run a lap for me, I would hate to come in there and embarrass you by outrunning you on my hands.” Again, I couldn’t laugh then, because what she was going through was so harsh, but somehow she still managed to make me smile and encourage my heart by strengthening my faith. I learned from her as well that every GO THROUGH doesn’t guarantee a COMING OUT!

Mr. Mobley was another animal altogether! He Over-Enjoyed his sponge baths at the hospital! LOL! But he would always say “there are no angels who will do this for me in heaven, so I have to get it where I can get it”. Mr. Mobley had more health issues than all the doctor books with all the diagnosis in all the world! And yet, he always managed to make people laugh by twirling his cane, or juggling his pills, or telling the doctors that since there was no hope left for him, his hospital bills should be deleted! No change in his health, no charge to his Medicare! Hilarious! And once again, I learned the valuable lesson that your GO THROUGH doesn’t grant you an automatic GET OUT!

However, I think my most memorable lesson was taught to me by little Cheyenne. Born with Leukemia, and yet had a smile that literally lit up the world! Every time I visited with her I would walk in ready to share God’s love, a Scripture, Prayer or to just Give Her My Shoulder so She Could Lean and Cry. BUT, little Cheyenne had different plans for me in every visit! I would walk in and she would be ready to play cards, checkers, watch a scary movie, dance to some crazy country song, or even finger paint! She would drive me absolutely nuts! By the time I left, I was ready to go to bed and take a nap, and she was sitting up waiting for the next victim to enter her room thinking she was going out without a fight or without some fun! She transitioned at the tender age of 12, and even days before she was on her way to heaven, she would charge anyone coming to visit her $5 per tear, if you came in crying! Her statement? “I’m going to spend eternity with God, you guys are the ones who should be crying because you have to stay here in the world” LOL! I’m sure you’ll catch on to the lesson I learned from her as well…GO THROUGH, doesn’t mean COME OUT!

Understand this: God can take you out of your situation or simply bring you through it to build and rebuild the faith of others. So, when He leaves you in it longer than you’d like to stay, be encouraged, He’s only developing in you – Furnace Faith that will Keep You On Fire, and Cause You to Contagiously Ignite Others as Well! You see, this is the type of faith that refuses to fail no matter the intensity of the heated circumstances it finds itself in! It’s the faith the Hebrews boys possessed, “I Know He Can, But Even If He Doesn’t, I’m Still Good, Because He’s Still God!”

Furnace Faith is dead to doubt and blind to impossibility! It believes that God can do absolutely anything, but fail! It trusts Him even when it doesn’t understand Him. It follows His instructions even when they make absolutely no sense at all! It doesn’t waver even when it finds itself in circumstances that attempts to knock it off its feet! Furnace Faith Knows That If God Doesn’t Bring Me Out of the Fire, He’ll Still Make Sure I Don’t Get Burned!

Furnace Faith reaches up through the threatening clouds and lays hold of the One who has all power in heaven and on earth. It makes the circumstances bearable and the future hopeful. Furnace Faith believes that even if you do have to go through the fire, God will go with you! There’s something about going through, but not going through alone that makes a difference!

Prime example: Anyone who knows me knows I’m claustrophobic! I absolutely detest small, tight or confining spaces. In fact, I refuse to be positioned anywhere that I can’t see an immediate exit before I even enter. It’s so bad that I even hated playing ‘hide and go seek’, why? Because I was never hiding anywhere you couldn’t quickly find me! LOL! Well, a few years ago I was suffering with migraines really bad and I remember the doctor saying I’m sending you for an MRI. I got to the place and saw the machine, and instantly started sweating! I switched into panic mode quicker than you could bat an eyelash! But I tried to be a big girl and go through it anyhow! Did it work? Absolutely not! I wasn’t in that contraption 30 seconds before I was pressing the button for them to get me the heck out of there! For the life of me I couldn’t fathom what would make them think I would be distracted by them playing music, as if I wouldn’t realize they had my live body in a machine that looked like a coffin! Well, the technician was a smart man! Sam was my ace! He said “you don’t know me, but I’ve been doing this for years. I know what I’m doing and will not leave you or allow anything to hurt or harm you. Let’s try something that I’ve come to find helpful with patients who are claustrophobic. He said you’re going to go back in, and this time, I’m going to put my hand on your right ankle. I’ll keep patting it until you’re done. It will take about 10 minutes. And I promise to pat the whole ten!” To this day I still don’t know why that made the difference! But Sam may have given me a little clue. When I was done, I thanked Sam, and said I have no idea why something so simple made such a big difference. He said “It’s simple really. Most people don’t have a problem with going through, they just have a problem with going through alone. My pats let you know that I was in it with you.” For some reason, that’s how I feel about God. Even if He doesn’t bring me OUT, just knowing that He’s IN there with me, makes the difference!

Back to our text, listen to the words of a heathen king who watched it all happen: “But look!” he said. “I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!” (Daniel 3:25 MSG). How encouraging to know that our God never leaves us nor forsakes us? How wonderful to know that no matter what we’re in or what we may go through, He will never allow us to do it without His presence? And even when it doesn’t feel good, it does feel good to know that He’s Always a Very Present Help In Our Time of Need! Psalm 46:1, “God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.” (MSG)

Know This: Furnace Faith makes you as free IN the fire of affliction as you are OUT of it!

“Dear friends, your faith is going to be tested as if it were going through fire. Do not be surprised at this.” (1 Peter 4:12 NLV);

“Nay, IN all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37).

This is going to be a hard truth to embrace, but not everyone is healed of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and the like. But does that mean our God is not able? Absolutely Not! Matthew 19:26 says, “But Jesus looked at them and said, With men this is impossible, but ALL things are possible with God.” (AMP)

However, God also admonishes us: Isaiah 55:8-9, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (NLT).

There are some things we will never understand, but there will never be anything GOD doesn’t understand. He has plans for us and He’s already declared that He’s with us always.

Matthew 28:20, “…and lo, I am with you ALWAYS [REMAINING WITH YOU PERPETUALLY – REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCE, AND ON EVERY OCCASION], EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.” (AMP).

Jeremiah 29:10-11, “This is God’s Word on the subject…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised…I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – PLANS TO TAKE CARE OF YOU, NOT ABANDON YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU THE FUTURE YOU HOPE FOR.” (MSG)

Hebrews 13:5, “…FOR HE HAS SAID, ‘I WILL NEVER [UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES] DESERT YOU [NOR GIVE YOU UP NOR LEAVE YOU WITHOUT SUPPORT, NOR WILL I IN ANY DEGREE LEAVE YOU HELPLESS], NOR WILL I FORSAKE OR LET YOU DOWN OR RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU [ASSUREDLY NOT]!” (AMP)

So even when the outcome isn’t what we wanted or expected, we must maintain consistent, uncompromised faith! Changing circumstances and uncomfortable situations do not in any way change our God! He sees, He hears, He knows what is best for His children! Trust Him No Matter What! And Let Your Testimony Be the Same as the Hebrew Boys, I Know He Can, But Even If He Doesn’t, It Will Not Alter My Faith In God! Someone Possessing That Kind of Faith Puts Even His Enemies in Awe of His God!

“If you can believe in gravity, electricity, Wi-Fi, body cells, and so many other INVISIBLE THINGS, then you can also believe in that dream of yours that only needs your unwavering faith to come into your life.” (Roxana Jones)

“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” (Saint Augustine)

“The river just flows, no matter the obstacles or the speed. It does not control, it simply flows. Do the same. Use your unwavering faith, and go with the flow.”

“Without faith it is impossible to please God,” and without faith it is impossible for you to become great. The distinguishing characteristic of all really great men and women is an unwavering faith.” (Wallace D. Wattles)

“The gift of faith is the ability to sustain unwavering confidence in the promises of God in the face of impossibility.” (Dr. Michael Youssef)

“Faith is a choice; not a feeling. It means choosing to trust God even when life doesn’t seem to make sense.” (Dave Willis)

“What seems impossible one minute becomes, through faith, possible the next.” (Norman Vincent Peale)

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

Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Checklist for Staying Healthy”

Feel free to join us at: http://www.chefshermainesbiblecafe.home.blog Today’s Chef Special Word “COMPELS!”

LETS STAY CONNECTED!
Daily Dose With Dr. Shermaine: https://dailydosewithdrshermaine.wordpress.com
Facebook: DrShermaine Franklin-Sanders
Instagram: dr_sys
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/dr-shermaine-y-franklin-sanders910019142/
Twitter: Dr_Shermaine
Pinterest: drsys321
Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DrShermaineYFranklinSanders

“The Responsibility of Influence”

Posted on 26 Apr 2019 by Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

1 Corinthians 8:8-9, “But fortunately God doesn’t grade us on our diet. We’re neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can’t stomach it. But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.” (MSG)

My girlfriend Charlene relocated from the big city to live in the South with her parents who inherited a huge family-owned country estate. Now, the estate, including a farm, doesn’t have any cows on it, but the place is surrounded by cows on all sides (after all, it is the country). Charlene would often say that it made her feel so peaceful when she could sit on the porch and see the cows inside the fence across the road, just quietly grazing or sitting in the shade. However, it didn’t make her feel peaceful when she got up one morning and saw one of her neighbor’s cows in her front yard grazing and leaving little ‘souvenirs’ of her visit.

You see, her neighbor left his pasture gate wide open, but that’s OK. The cattle guards are there in the ground; you know that little grate that cows are afraid to cross for fear of getting a hoof stuck. Well, they’re supposed to be afraid. But this one cow had somehow found her way to pick her way across the cattle guard, which left her free to wander all over the countryside! Charlene even named her – ‘Grazing Gloria’. But then, pretty soon, another cow saw what ‘Grazing Gloria’ did and managed to navigate that cattle guard too; this one she named ‘Copy-Cat Cathy’. After that, a little black calf followed ‘Copy-Cat Cathy’ out. In the end, several cows ended up wandering everywhere, even up toward the main highway, which is dangerous!

Moral of the story: As soon as one cow ignored the boundaries, others followed her, without question, where they were never meant to go (even into places that could’ve easily taken their lives)!

Now, it isn’t just cows that follow cows out of bounds. Which is why Paul issues this warning in 1 Corinthians 8 beginning with verse 9. “Be careful that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” As is my custom, let’s view this verse in a few translations:

“Only be careful that this liberty of yours [this power to choose] does not somehow become a stumbling block [that is, a temptation to sin] to the weak [in conscience].” (AMP);

“Only be careful that this power of choice (this permission and liberty to do as you please) which is yours, does not [somehow] become a hindrance (cause of stumbling) to the weak or overscrupulous [giving them an impulse to sin].” (AMPC);

“But watch out or else this freedom of yours might be a problem for those who are weak.” (CEB);

“But be careful that by using your freedom you don’t somehow make a believer who is weak in faith fall into sin.” (GWT);

“Be careful, however, not to let your freedom of action make those who are weak in the faith fall into sin.” (GNT);

“Since you are free to do as you please, be careful that this does not hurt a weak Christian.” (NLV)

You see, the danger for us is that we have the right of choice. We have freedom and we have liberty to choose as we please. But one of those translations reads, “…this POWER to choose…”, and where there’s power there’s responsibility. Because our power is influence (whether good or bad), and we are to be held accountable (especially as LEADERS) with how we exercise our rights, choices, power and influence, because others are watching, listening and following our lead. Yes, we can choose as we please, but we bear the responsibility to make choices that don’t cause catastrophic consequences to the lives of others who emulate our examples. We are to avoid tempting anyone to sin; influencing anyone to sin; or justifying others while they sin.

Our Strength of Choice should never Weaken a Fellow Believer!

Which is why Paul addresses a lifestyle choice he made, simply based on how a certain behavior would affect other believers. Now, that’s responsible leadership!

A little background: The issue back then had to do with whether or not Christians should eat meat that had been offered to idols in pagan ceremonies. Apparently, some felt they could eat that meat in good conscience – after all, it was just a piece of meat. But for others, it might be the first step backwards toward the darkness that Christ had delivered them from. So Paul says, “If what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.” Paul says in essence, “I can’t make my choices based only on how it will affect me. If I go there, someone else may follow me…and worse, fall!”

Listen to Paul in, 1 Corinthians 8:10-13, “For instance, say you flaunt your freedom by going to a banquet thrown in honor of idols, where the main course is meat sacrificed to idols. Isn’t there great danger if someone still struggling over this issue, SOMEONE WHO LOOKS UP TO YOU AS KNOWLEDGEABLE AND MATURE, sees you go into that banquet? The danger is that he will become terribly confused—maybe even to the point of getting mixed up himself in what his conscience tells him is wrong.Christ gave up his life for that person. Wouldn’t you at least be willing to give up going to dinner for him—because, as you say, it doesn’t really make any difference? But it does make a difference if you hurt your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ. A free meal here and there isn’t worth it at the cost of even one of these “weak ones.” So, never go to these idol-tainted meals IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE IT WILL TRIP UP ONE OF YOUR BROTHERS OR SISTERS.” (MSG)

This is the danger of being irresponsible with our power of choice and influence. There are people around us (some we know, some we’ll never know), that see us, according to the text, as, “…SOMEONE WHO LOOKS UP TO YOU AS KNOWLEDGEABLE AND MATURE…”, which in a nutshell tells them, “if you hear them say that…you can repeat it, without question…if you see them do that…you can do the same, without question…” Why? Because we’re, “…SOMEONE TO LOOK UP TO AS KNOWLEDGEABLE AND MATURE …” So, naturally we can be trusted, obeyed, followed, and imitated, because clearly with so much knowledge and maturity, we wouldn’t lead them astray now would we?

Now back to Charlene’s wandering neighbor, ‘Grazing Gloria’. I don’t think she ever thought about a calf or any other cows following her outside the fence. All she knew was there was something she wanted that was beyond the boundaries. Actually, she should never have crossed the cattle guard herself (remember, most cows are afraid to cross it because they know they can be hurt). But what made it worse was that her example emboldened other cows to go where they shouldn’t go; to go where they could get hurt! And all because one cow decided to graze beyond the boundaries.

There’s a term “out of bounds”, that’s often used particularly in sports. A portion of its definition reads like this, “to be outside of specified or prescribed limits; to enter forbidden territory; to cross a boundary line; something that is not allowed or approved; to go beyond established limits; to break rules; to do what is unreasonable; to violate or exceed acceptable rules or standards.”

People of God, we are to set standards, not step outside of them! And certainly we are not to leave footprints for others to follow us in our folly! Which is why we need the Word of God so desperately in our daily lives and lifestyles.

Psalm 119:105-112, “By Your Words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by Your righteous order. Everything’s falling apart on me, God; put me together again with Your Word. Festoon me with Your finest sayings, God; teach me Your holy rules. My life is as close as my own hands, but I don’t forget what You have revealed. The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don’t swerve an inch from Your course. I inherited Your book on living; it’s mine forever – what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what You say – I always have and always will.” (MSG)

Listen, if we are to be living epistles, we have to know what the Word of God says. We have to read it, apply it, practice it, share it and above all, live it! If we are to lead those that follow us, we need to be sure that our feet don’t go out of bounds of what the Bible says! We need to live and lead in such a way that those who follow us will know that we obey the specified and prescribed limits of the Bible; we do not enter forbidden territory; we do not cross the boundary lines; we do not transgress what is allowed or approved; we do not go beyond established limits; we do not break the rules; we do nothing unreasonable; and we certainly do not violate or exceed the acceptable rules or standards of the Word of God! We Do Not Live Out of Bounds, We Do Not Lead Out of Bounds, and We Will Have No One to Follow Us Who Desires to Go Out of Bounds!

Which means we need to alter our lifestyles accordingly! Why? Because people are listening, watching and emulating us. So when we (especially as LEADERS), are INVISIBLE in Sunday School, Bible Study, Prayer, Sunday Services, Meetings and Rehearsals, We Are Setting the Example For Others to Follow! When we lie, cheat, steal, gossip, hate, run the rumor mill…we are setting the example for others to follow! When we are stubborn, malicious, disobedient, contrary, jealous, envious, coveting and unkind, we are setting the example for others to follow! When we’re critical, negative, pessimistic, fearful, anxious, mean-spirited, condescending, belittling, backbiting and gossiping we are setting the example for others to follow! When we are argumentative, complaining, murmuring, bickering, divisive, temperamental, moody, and full of attitude, we are setting the example for others to follow! Are you getting this? We are not to become ‘Grazing Gloria’, guiding people to dangerous, out-of-bounds territories of sin!

Now hopefully, you and I are a little smarter than cows! We have to remember that when we do things, people are watching and even following us because of that invisible power called influence. And because we can’t see it, we forget we have it and that it’s affecting people around us. Your behavior? Your choices? You’re giving permission to someone who’s watching you to do the same thing. A child is watching, a younger and weaker Christian, a coworker, a friend, your spouse, your church. Even people in the supermarket, hair and nail salons, barbershop, mall, McDonalds, and the laundromat are all watching you. You step outside the boundaries a little, and they might follow you and end up where they never would have gone otherwise; going farther than even you would ever go. And it’s all because of your choice; your power; your influence.

The word “influence” is defined as “the power or ability to affect someone’s beliefs or actions; the power to produce physical change.” Its origin, ‘influx’; from Latin ‘influere’ literally means ‘to flow in.’ And, ‘to flow in’ is defined as ‘to be encompassed in moving along steadily and continuously.’ When we make choices, and our choices influence others to follow, they are encompassed and moving along steadily and continuously in the choice and consequence that we set as a proper example for them to follow. When we make choices, others can be entrapped by our decisions. They can suffer consequences because of choices we made without responsibility for them. Which is why we need to be very cautious when entering into LEADERSHIP positions. There are many people who will listen to us, and follow us, just because it’s Us! And God help us if we ‘appear’ to be sound, strong, mature and right, they will follow us right into enemy territory and not even know it!

Now, a further danger is this, ‘Grazing Gloria’ never thought about the consequences of her choice; nor did she think about all the old cows and young calf’s that would follow her lead; nor did she ever look back to see the irresponsible and poor choice she made. But since she’s a cow, we can excuse her behavior…but then, what justifies ours?

We must always take time to do self-examination, and inventory so we can make appropriate adjustments before anyone gets hurt by our words, actions, choices or LEADERSHIP. We have to evaluate ourselves:

Am I in the right place?
Am I doing the right thing?
Am I with the right people?
Am I fulfilling the right purpose?
What am I saying?
What am I doing?
Am I helpful, hurtful, or hindering?
Am I lazy, hesitant, or procrastinating?
Am I bitter, angry, hurt, disappointed, or discouraged?
Am I getting stronger?
Am I getting weaker?
Do I have the right vision?
Am I functioning in my gifts, talents, and skill-set?
Am I obedient?
What kind of example am I setting?
Who’s following me?
Who am I following?
Who’s watching me?
Who’s listening to me?
How am I leading?
Who’s keeping me responsible and accountable?
How do I dress?
Am I faithful, committed, and dedicated?
Am I loyal and dependable?
Do I talk to people, or just talk about them?
Do I resolve problems, or am I the problem?
Am I a servant?
Am I trustworthy?
Am I an example worthy of emulating?
If people were asked about my influence, would it be good or bad?

You see, the problem with many of us is that we don’t want anyone to correct us, and we certainly don’t want to self-exam ourselves, because no one knows us better than us, therefore, many tests we already know we’ve failed! But the Psalmist admonishes us by his example: Psalm 139:23-24, “Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong – then guide me on the road to eternal life.” (MSG)

A Life Unexamined is Unhealthy…be it Leader or Laity!

You see, if we have no check-points, our blind-spots will cause us and others injury…and sometimes the damage is irreparable.

Like it or not, but we are responsible for our influence. We are responsible for the choices we make, even the ones we deem personal. People are watching, listening and following. And at the end of the day, we don’t want to be someone else’s excuse to watch or listen to something questionable. We don’t know where it might take them. So, don’t be someone else’s excuse to swear, or to cheat, to act selfish, to be disrespectful, maybe to flirt with sexual sin or a moral compromise, or just to shade the truth a bit. No, wear your character and integrity like a daily garment. Let people see it on display at all times. Be the example of godliness, holiness, order, obedience, discipline, and the fruit of the Spirit that they should seek to follow. Remember, there are people around you making choices, based on your choices, and they will suffer consequences one way or the other. Make your choices such that they reap gain and not loss.

Could it be that you’ve gotten a little careless, thinking you can wander just a little out of bounds, and you think you’ve found a way to do it where you won’t get hurt, you won’t get stuck, you won’t get caught. Even if that’s true, please look at what you’re doing to those who are watching you, who may follow you. Like ‘Grazing Gloria’s’ gang, you may inadvertently be leading someone down a road they should never be on. Your exercise of freedom could lead someone else into bondage or hurt. If it might cause a brother or sister to fall, don’t even go there! You are your brother and sisters keeper.

1 Corinthians 8:10-13, “For instance, say you flaunt your freedom by going to a banquet thrown in honor of idols, where the main course is meat sacrificed to idols. Isn’t there great danger if someone still struggling over this issue, SOMEONE WHO LOOKS UP TO YOU AS KNOWLEDGEABLE AND MATURE, sees you go into that banquet? The danger is that he will become terribly confused—maybe even to the point of getting mixed up himself in what his conscience tells him is wrong.Christ gave up his life for that person. Wouldn’t you at least be willing to give up going to dinner for him—because, as you say, it doesn’t really make any difference? But it does make a difference if you hurt your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ. A free meal here and there isn’t worth it at the cost of even one of these “weak ones.” So, never go to these idol-tainted meals IF THERE’S ANY CHANCE IT WILL TRIP UP ONE OF YOUR BROTHERS OR SISTERS.” (MSG)

Never Be the Reason Someone’s Fall Happened Simply Because They Were Following You!

Job 31:12-31, “If I’ve ever used my strength and influence to take advantage of the unfortunate, Go ahead, break both my arms, cut off all my fingers! The fear of God has kept me from these things – how else could I ever face Him?” (MSG);

Proverbs 11:11, “By the blessing [of the influence] of the upright the city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.” (AMP)’

Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].” (AMP);

Mark 12:14, “They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and have no personal bias toward anyone; for You are not influenced by outward appearances or social status, but in truth You teach the way of God…” (AMP)

“You don’t have to be a “person of influence” to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they’ve taught me.” (Scott Adams);

“Never underestimate the influence you have on others.” (Laurie Buchanan);

“Who and what we surround ourselves with directly influences our attitudes, goals and lifestyles.” (Pinterest);

“Attitude is greatly shaped by influence and association.” (Jim Rohn);

“Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.” (George Eliot);

“It would be difficult to exaggerate the degree to which we are influenced by those we influence.” (Eric Hoffer);

“Leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less.” (John Maxwell);

“The most important influence in my childhood was my father.” (DeForest Kelley);

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” (Henry Adams)

“As much as people refuse to believe it, the company you keep does have an impact and influence on your choices.” (Pinterest);

“Your circle of influence dictates your path.” (Jon Bielecki);

“Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children.” (Billy Graham);

“God chose to introduce Himself to us in the first verse of Genesis as a Creator. And yet so few Christians really understand the power of creativity to influence the culture.” (Phil Cooke);

“Our generation is in need of Christian women who are willing to rise up and show the culture the powerful influence a God-Defined woman can have.” (GirlDefined);

“The schools, the courts, the media – all seem determined to erase Christian influence from public life and confine religion to the four walls of the church or home.” (Bruce L. Shelley)

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

Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “How Caffeine Affects Your Body?”

Feel free to join us at: http://www.chefshermainesbiblecafe.home.blog Today’s Chef Special Word “PRESERVED!”

“It’s Time to Clean House!”

Posted on 2 Apr 2018 by Daily Dose With Dr.Shermaine

Listen to 1 Peter 4:17, “For the time has come for judgment to BEGIN at THE HOUSE OF GOD…” (NKJV)

Sounds like we’ve got a lot of cleaning to do! The House of God (the building) and the Temple of God (us) both need some serious cleaning up and out!

We have enough men desiring to be Ordained in the House of God, but not enough desiring to set and maintain the Order of the House!

Remember, He’s coming back for ONE Body, ONE House, ONE Church, and anything or anyone Unclean and Unholy Will Not Be in the Number!

Let today be the day that Men Clean House, and watch what happens when Order becomes the Order of the Day again!

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

	Daily Dose With Dr.S… on “YES, GOD CAN STILL USE…
	David Folay Akoiwala on “YES, GOD CAN STILL USE…
	Daily Dose With Dr.S… on “An Encounter With …
	Anthony on “An Encounter With …
	Daily Dose With Dr.S… on “DON’T LET THE PRE…

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: