2Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Many times when doing my own editing for things that I write I miss simple mistakes that I’ve made. Oftentimes it’s only when my wonderful husband has reviewed the text and found numerous errors that I realize that I need a second pair of eyes to help me see things that I may have missed. I think the reason that I miss so many of the mistakes is because I know what I wanted to say so when I proofread the text my eyes skim over the words with the mind-set that I wrote it with. It is not as easy for me to see as someone else who did not write it. Sometimes it seems like my eyes are playing tricks on me because I could have just read over something and then I go back and find two more errors. Well, why didn’t I see it the first ten times I looked over it? My eyes see the error but my mind does not acknowledge it.

Can we see a parallel in spiritual things? The bible tells us to examine ourselves. However, why don’t we see what others see wrong in our lives. Sometimes we get fighting mad because someone who loves us told us one of our faults. We carry on for hours, getting angry because they saw something about us that we did not see or we saw it and did not consider it a fault. We begin to reason and pacify ourselves by thinking, “They don’t know me because if they knew me they would know that I am not like what they think they saw in me.” We wrongly conclude that if we didn’t see it in ourselves it couldn’t possibly be true because if anybody knows me it’s me. Wrong, many times we don’t see it because we created it or allowed it at some point in our lives and now it’s so much a part of us that our brains don’t see the wrong in it. We approved it for years sometimes.

I believe when the bible tells us to examine ourselves I believe God was referring to us seeing ourselves through the light of His Word, not according to our own standards and natural thinking. Your mother may have told you that a certain way you behaved as a child was cute but God’s Word may not consider it cute at all. So the next time you do self editing made sure you use the Word of God as our standard.

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H.E.L.P. (Heaven Extravagantly Loving People)

Hebrews 4:15-16

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Help defined:

• to make it easier or possible for somebody to do something that one person cannot do alone by providing assistance
• to provide somebody with advice, directions, or other information

Have you ever been tempted to give up on something you had previously set your heart to fully accomplish? Have you ever drawn back from your purpose? Have you ever been under pressure and felt overwhelmed by the circumstances facing you? Well, if your answer to any of the above questions was yes, you are not the only one who has been at the boiling point of a temptation, test or trial.

The scripture says, Jesus also was tempted in all points yet without sin. How did Jesus overcome every temptation, I believe it was because He had help. Jesus lived a life here on the earth in close fellowship and union with his Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “…yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.”

You are not alone, God is with you and He is for you. You have every available help in every situation. Love will never abandon you.

The scripture says to come boldly, meaning with confidence and deep assurance. Know that God will not reject your request for His help. He longs and waits to help His children but we must be willing to ask. Don’t let pride and the “I can do it by myself syndrome” block the true help you need. There are heavenly resources available to you right now! Our Heavenly Father is an extravagant giver. He is extreme when it comes to blessing His children. He will not scold you for asking for His help, it is His delight when you come to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.

So go ahead and approach the throne, Heaven is waiting to pour extravagant love on you now. Help is on the way today!

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Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Are you a peacemaker? Well child of God you are blessed!

Another word for peacemaker is mediator; somebody who works with both sides in a dispute in an attempt to help them to reach an agreement.

As children of God we have His nature and His ways are continuing being imprinted on our hearts. God’s ways are far above the ways of mere unchanged men. When we spend time with God in prayer and meditation in the Word of God, we begin to sound like Him and look like Him in our character and personality. We take on a new culture, the Kingdom of God culture. We become imitators of God. We begin to resemble Him when we are going through a temptation, test or trial. When the storms of life come we find ourselves responding like Jesus instead of the traditions and cultures we were raised in from the world.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace! He is our Mediator, between God the Father and mankind. He secured a covenant or agreement of Peace between God and man. He got right smack dab in the middle and brought us together as a family again.

Sometimes we may find ourselves in natural situations at work, in our homes, with extended family and relatives, with children, neighbors etc. where we need to bring peace between two or more parties. Yes, I know you are probably like most of us who would rather just stay out of it and mind your own business so to speak. However there are times when you maybe lead of the Holy Ghost to rise up and be a peacemaker in certain situations. In times such as these just know that God is with you and in you and He will give you what to do and say. Be bold to do what you have seen the Father do or say. Stand strong for the truth and never be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ even though you maybe criticized and persecuted for it. The truth sets people free. So obey when He is prompting you to get involved in certain situations. You are His child and you are a peacemaker. Rejoice, you look just like your Heavenly Father!

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Jealousy is like a spiritual acid that eats away at a person vitality and verdure. Acid is corrosive in nature which means it is able to destroy something progressively by chemical action. It is also very interesting to note that acid also can be defined as a sharp, bitter, or sarcastic quality in speech or writing. Wow isn’t that an eye opener. The next time someone speaks sharp, bitter, sarcastic words about or around you, just go ahead and neutralize those destructive daggers, they’ll fall to the ground ineffective and void of power.

If not neutralized the erosive effect of jealousy tends to immediately break down or wear away at whatever it comes in contact with. What use to look vibrant and fresh now looks old, worn and lifeless.

Neutralized defined:

• To make something ineffective, especially by removing its ability to act as a threat or obstacle.

The bible says jealousy is cruel as the grave (Songs of Solomon 8:6). It is contrary to the plans and purposes of God.

Proverbs 14:30 (AMP)

A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

1 Corinthians 3:3 (AMP)

For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men?

James 3:14, 16 (AMP)

But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry, selfish ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth.

For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.

Now we can see from the above scriptures why jealousy is cruel. It is unrelenting and destructive. It is brutal and malicious. It is mean and nasty. It is spiteful, unkind and vindictive. We, Christians, must guard our hearts against this deadly enemy. The bible describes jealousy as bitter, which means it is very sour or disgusting to digest. It leaves a bad taste in ones mouth.

Many times when people allow jealousy to operate in their lives it is not always obvious at first glance. It will many times sheepishly rear its head and bite in a casual way. The bible says wherever there is jealousy there is confusion or unrest, disharmony and rebellion. Jealousy is rebellious against the character and nature of God. It is selfish in its pursuit and regards not the plans and purposes of God. Jealousy is rooted in pride; it has no loyalty to God in nature.

When we yield to the flesh, the old sin nature, jealousy is a product. When we yield to the flesh, jealousy does not ask for permission to flow and grow in our lives. The flesh cultivates and stimulates jealousy.

The only way we can keep our lives clean and flesh free is to yield to the Spirit and His workings in our lives. We must follow and follow Him closely. We must listen to Him and obey quickly. We must be loyal to His Words. We must be reverent and esteem His voice. We must allow the Word of God to root out, pull down and destroy all the deceptive works of the flesh, while planting, cultivating and building the fruit of the spirit. When we grow in the knowledge of the Love of God we will never be controlled by jealousy again.

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Hebrews 4:14-16 (AMP)

Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him]. For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

Aren’t you glad that God loves and cares for you. Even in the mist of great trials and temptations the Lord understands and sympathizes weaknesses and infirmities. He is such a great High Priest, He is not untouchable. God is always willing to comfort, forgive and heal the broken hearted. He is always ready and willing to help. He will never leave you or forsake you. We must always go to God, He will help, He will give mercy and grace, no matter what you face. He is always on time. Thou others may not care or offer help or support, God will always be there for you. He will not condemn you or cast you aside. God is love. Love is forever actively pursuing you. You are not alone, He is there. He is more than enough!

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Why are you here? What on earth is your purpose? Do you know? Can you answer without hesitancy or uncertainty?

How can you know your purpose without going to the one who created you? Many people live their life with vague answers to these vital questions. The heart of every man, woman, boy and girl longs to know, for what purpose was I born. Drifting from place to place, trying to find the meaning of their race in the face of a world of confusion. Who can I trust or who would even know the true purpose of my birth?

The true answer is in … Jesus Christ!

Acts 17:24-29

The God Who produced and formed the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade shrines. Neither is He served by human hands, as though He lacked anything, for it is He Himself Who gives life and breath and all things to all [people]. And He made from one [common origin, one source, one blood] all nations of men to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined [their] allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation (their settlements, lands, and abodes), So that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Since then we are God’s offspring, we ought not to suppose that Deity (the Godhead) is like gold or silver or stone, [of the nature of] a representation by human art and imagination, or anything constructed or invented.

God is our creator and He is the only one qualified to tell us for what purpose we were born. God told Jeremiah the prophet, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

Just like God spoke clearly and specifically to Jeremiah the purpose for which he was born, God can also speak to you and I. God is not withholding anything from us however it is our responsibility to seek Him to find out His specific plan for our lives. It is not somebody else’s responsibility to find out for us, we must have passion and desire to know the purpose for which we were born. Then once we have clarity from the throne of God we can go forward to fulfill our God given destinies.

Your life is important and you have a God ordained purpose. God loves you and waits for your earnest seeking of His plan for your life.

Smile, your future is bright in Christ, so get ready for the journey of your life as your Creator unveils your true purpose.

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Why would someone want to be around people they have nothing in common with? Most people even if they are not born-again don’t enjoy being around people who are always negative and complaining. No one generally enjoys being around people who are irritable and grouchy. Unless you have a similar attitude or display like behavior, these are not personality traits that people beat the door down or wait in long lines to fellowship with.

Alliance is defined as a close relationship, based on similar objectives or characteristics.

Why would you want to associate with drug addicts if you don’t do drugs? What would be the draw or the common bond that encourages union? One might say well, “I’ve known old so and so for years he’s like a brother/sister to me.” So are you saying you like being around Ted the wine-o just because he reminds you of your past? Or is it a deeper bond for mere selfish purposes? You are now the CEO of a bank but you like hanging around drunks because you guys knew each other when you were children. What kind of mind set is that and how could that be productive for you? If you are trying to help Ted come up to where you are that’s different and generally does not take a close relationship to do that, you can help someone without forming an alliance with them. The truth of the matter is that it’s not really about Ted at all; it’s about you and your refusal to grow-up. The bible says, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Your lack of spiritual discipline to cut off potentially harmful and dangerous relationships is a sign of immaturity and selfishness. You really don’t want Ted to change because if he did you wouldn’t have anywhere to go or hang-out to complain or flesh out. Ted provides you with the ungodly environment and friendship that you seek to selfishly gratify your flesh. When Ted curses and tells dirty jokes, it doesn’t bother you, because your unbridled flesh wants him too. You like being around Ted because he watches porn on TV and if anyone ever saw you looking at this with Ted, you can just simply blame it on Ted. You quickly explain, “Boy that Ted is a mess, always complaining and watching all that filth on TV, that’s why nobody likes to be around him.” But yet you are always around him, why? What does Ted do to help promote character in you? What is Ted saying that is helping you to prosper and increase in your life? What kind of mentor is Ted; would you let him mentor your children? Whose being deceived here, you, Ted or both?

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Corinthians 15:32

We all from time to time have to be around people with unpleasant attitudes and undesirable behaviors not necessarily because we wanted to but because we have to.

Could it be that you are not advancing and making progress in your life toward your God given destiny because the evil root of Ted’s words have corrupted or choked the Word of God that was sown in your heart. You and Ted serve and live in two totally different kingdoms, how can you have such a close union? You are not an exception to the rules. Wake up, before you end up, in a place called nowhere!

Many Christian’s today are unequally yoked in ungodly alliances. They fellowship with people daily who consistently live lifestyles that are opposed to God’s kingdom, yet they say that they love God. Ephesians 5:11 declares, “Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] expose and reprove and convict them.” If you live like this around people like Ted you will either draw them to a close relationship with Christ or repel them to where they don’t want you around. If Ted likes being around you and is not being draw by the light that should be bright in you could it be that you are luke warm. Are you being a stumbling block to Ted just to fulfill your uncontrolled fleshly desires?

Remember, the Apostle Peter was warming himself by the fire of the world when he denied Christ.

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17

Ask the Holy Spirit today, to lead and guide you into Godly relationships and divine fellowships to help you grow and fulfill your destiny. Inspire to be around people who love being around God, people who have a heavenly purpose and vision.

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Philippians 3:13-14

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Forget defined:

• Neglecting, no longer caring for.

• Forgotten, given over to oblivion, i.e. uncared for.

When someone chooses to forget they choose to: not remember, to stop thinking about, to put out of your mind, to disregard, to put behind you, to overlook and not recall.

You neglect or refuse to give any attention or care to that which you choose to forget.

You don’t nurse it or feed it, you don’t cuddle it or comfort it; you totally neglect it. If you neglect something long enough it will die. Stop sympathizing and nourishing thoughts of rejection. Stop cuddling the wrong treatment you received in the past, it no longer has significance in your life. Stop remembering and rehearsing your past, let it go, starve it out. Don’t prop it up on a mantle for all to see who walk by but sit it out for the trash man to pick up on garbage day. Yes, they did hurt you, as a matter of fact they hurt you numerous times but you must get your eyes off them and redirect your focus to Jesus. Love voids out all suffered wrongs and lets God be the Judge and Jury. Love doesn’t plot on how to get even but rather meditates on ways to bless its enemies and do good to those who despitefully use them.

There is power in love to forget. Love not only empowers one to forget but also to forgive. The Love of God that has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit destroys also the effects of the past. It can root out, pull down and destroy everything connected to the past; as it then builds and plants that which provides a bright prosperous future.

Many times it may seem difficult or even down- right impossible to forget the past because many times we see residuals of it every day. You may sometimes see the person who hurt you on a daily basis. You may sometimes have to interact daily with the one who betrayed you and disregarded prior commitments to you. You may have to work with co-workers who have in times past persecuted you, treated you harshly. You may have to communicate with a spouse who was unfaithful and trampled under feet your marriage covenant. You may have to continually deal with a relative who has wronged you but promises it will never happen again yet they never seem to change from their evil ways. All of these things and more can cause a person to think that forgetting the past is impossible but nothing is impossible with God.

When we chose to forget the past it is not based on what someone else does or does not do. Forgetting the past is trusting God. The people, places and things of your past may never change but that doesn’t mean you have to stay trapped back there with them. When you chose to obey the word of God: forgiving and forgetting, you release your own heart from captivity and prove that you trust God. Our future is bright when we keep a steady gaze on Jesus; the author and finisher of our faith.

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Habakkuk 2:1-3

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

There is something admirable about effort. I applaud every noble cause but a cause without effort equals failure. The prophet Habakkuk declared that he would stand on his watch. Many times people are not willing to put any effort to seeing the plan that God has for their life fulfilled. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I do believe in sweat- less victories; meaning not trying to obtain things in your own strength. However the scriptures tell us that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Well, what does God strengthen us for? He strengthens us for us to do all things. Yes, it is God’s strength but we must participate and do our part. If you want a job then you need to get up and go apply for one, they don’t just drop out of the sky because God just strengthen you.

Habakkuk chose to seek God to see what the Lord would say to him and God in returned answered him. God has things to say to you, He wants you to hit the target of your destiny.

Target defined:

• A goal or objective toward which effort is directed.

When God begins to reveal His plans and purposes to us we then have something to target. That Divine plan becomes our bulls-eye. It’s important to write down what God says to us and then keep it before our eyes like a target. God will always fulfill His Word but we must believe. Believing is part of our effort. It is easier to hit a fixed target as opposed to a moving target. When I say a moving target I mean something that keeps changing. God is not changing targets on you every other day. He means what He says and says what He means. The vision God has given you may not fully come to pass today or tomorrow but you can be assured that it will come to pass, just like He said. So write the vision and make it plain, run with it and don’t stop until you have seen His good will come to pass at last.

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2 Samuel 22:32-34

For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.

We have such a wonderful merciful Father and Lord. God loves us so much and He proves that love to us daily. There is no one ever that could take His place in our hearts and lives, it is clear, without Him we can do nothing. God is our rock. He is the unmovable strength in our lives. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Whenever we draw upon His strength we soar high in His grace. God’s strength enables us to mount up on wings like eagles. We are never defeated when we rely on His strength and not our own. His strength makes our way perfect because who or what can withstand His power. Remember you are more than a conqueror and all your enemies together can never defeat or overcome the power of God’s strength in your life.

When we are in our high place (seated with Christ) we see things on earth differently. Our vision is much more clearer and accurate from His throne . Our strength is drained when we strain to see things from an earthly perspective. However when we humble ourselves before God we receive His bountiful supply of strength and power. In His strength we can endure and are sure that we our victorious!

So Be Strong In The Lord and In The Power Of His Might! You are loved of God.

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