2Chronicles 33:10-11
10The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 11So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.
Manasseh was king of Judah. He became a king very young and soon after forgot the God of his fathers. Manasseh began serving the idols that the enemies worshiped. The Lord warned Manasseh but his failure to listen caused him to be bound by the enemy. He suffered greatly. But it was during his imprisonment by the enemy that he sought the Lord. And the Lord granted mercy and delivered him. Haven't we all been like Manasseh in some way? God blesses us and then we forget that God was the one who placed us in position to receive His favor (overflow of blessings). And then God has to remind us like Manasseh who's really in charge. Sometimes the Lord will allow our enemies to overtake us in an effort to bring us back to Him. If we're distressed, many of us will call on God because we know he can deliver us. Like Manasseh, our heartfelt plea can be heard if we confess to our mistake. Once we do, God will set the wheels in motion to turn things back in our favor like He did Manasseh. We don't have to stay in misery. We can REPENT AND SEEK GOD!
P.S. Tun into the Leap of Faith Show with Stubbs at www.leapoffaithshow.com and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment every hour on the hour from 6-9am Mon-Wed and Sun 6-10am
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
By Faith
Hebrews 11:30
30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
Can you imagine a wall that surrounded a city falling after a nation of people marched around it seven times a day for seven days? Joshua had taken over the role as leader of the Israelites. God told him they were going to take possession of the land. Basically, God was going to give them the land after they followed a few short instructions. The Israelites and especially their leader, Joshua, had to believe that no matter how much sense it didn't make, it was necessary to follow God's instructions. The priests sounded the trumpet on that finally day and the wall came down. The walls back then were not like the flower water walls that are put up in a matter of days now. The walls of Jericho were solid. The miracle of the wall falling is great indeed but the example of moving in faith based on God's instructions is also great. The Israelites certainly wanted their promise but in order to get to their promise they had to be willing to follow God. They had to be willing to do something that seemed strange to a man's natural eye. But they didn't have to battle. All they had to do was march around it and the priests were to sound the trumpet. God moved out of their willingness to finally be attentive and walk in faith. When is the last time God told you to do something that didn't make sense to a man's natural eye? When is the last time you did anything by faith? What was the result?
30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
Can you imagine a wall that surrounded a city falling after a nation of people marched around it seven times a day for seven days? Joshua had taken over the role as leader of the Israelites. God told him they were going to take possession of the land. Basically, God was going to give them the land after they followed a few short instructions. The Israelites and especially their leader, Joshua, had to believe that no matter how much sense it didn't make, it was necessary to follow God's instructions. The priests sounded the trumpet on that finally day and the wall came down. The walls back then were not like the flower water walls that are put up in a matter of days now. The walls of Jericho were solid. The miracle of the wall falling is great indeed but the example of moving in faith based on God's instructions is also great. The Israelites certainly wanted their promise but in order to get to their promise they had to be willing to follow God. They had to be willing to do something that seemed strange to a man's natural eye. But they didn't have to battle. All they had to do was march around it and the priests were to sound the trumpet. God moved out of their willingness to finally be attentive and walk in faith. When is the last time God told you to do something that didn't make sense to a man's natural eye? When is the last time you did anything by faith? What was the result?
Friday, September 23, 2011
God Does Not Forget
Jeremiah 9:4
4Beware of your friends;
do not trust your brothers.
For every brother is a deceiver,
and every friend a slanderer.
Jeremiah the prophet was distressed by the people. He was distressed because they lived in deceit. He echoed words that reflected Jacob's efforts to steal his brother Esau's birthright. Jacob deceived his father Issac because he desired to have the favor of Esau as first born. Brother deceived brother. Jacob did not get away with what he done. That was indeed Jeremiah's point. No one gets away with deception and slander. In the story of Jacob, Jacob is later deceived by one he bargained with. Jacob served for seven years to marry Rachel but their father deceived him while he was drunk and forced him to marry Leah. Jacob deceived his father against sibling and so in turn a father deceived Jacob with a sibling. My God, for his law of reaping and sowing is given. We must learn to treat each other well. We must learn that God does not delight in such acts. If one deceives or slanders, unless one is truly remorseful and seeks forgiveness, God does not forget. And God's punishment is just.
P.S. Remember to check out the Artist to Artist Show with my man V, Saturday on www.Qliveone.com at 8:30am CT, 2:30 and 8:30pm CT and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment. Also tune in on Sunday to Stubbs at www.leapoffaithshow.com from 6-10am ET and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment, every hour on the hour as well as Monday-Wednesday from 6-9am ET.
4Beware of your friends;
do not trust your brothers.
For every brother is a deceiver,
and every friend a slanderer.
Jeremiah the prophet was distressed by the people. He was distressed because they lived in deceit. He echoed words that reflected Jacob's efforts to steal his brother Esau's birthright. Jacob deceived his father Issac because he desired to have the favor of Esau as first born. Brother deceived brother. Jacob did not get away with what he done. That was indeed Jeremiah's point. No one gets away with deception and slander. In the story of Jacob, Jacob is later deceived by one he bargained with. Jacob served for seven years to marry Rachel but their father deceived him while he was drunk and forced him to marry Leah. Jacob deceived his father against sibling and so in turn a father deceived Jacob with a sibling. My God, for his law of reaping and sowing is given. We must learn to treat each other well. We must learn that God does not delight in such acts. If one deceives or slanders, unless one is truly remorseful and seeks forgiveness, God does not forget. And God's punishment is just.
P.S. Remember to check out the Artist to Artist Show with my man V, Saturday on www.Qliveone.com at 8:30am CT, 2:30 and 8:30pm CT and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment. Also tune in on Sunday to Stubbs at www.leapoffaithshow.com from 6-10am ET and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment, every hour on the hour as well as Monday-Wednesday from 6-9am ET.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Your Appointed Time
Acts 13:48
48When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch and preached in the synagogue. The Jews wanted to have more discussions with Paul and Barnabas about Jesus. In other words, they were still skeptics but it was the knowledge and wisdom of Paul and Barnabas that got their attention. Paul himself was very much learned in their ways before his conversion on the road to Damascus so he could easily identify with them. But Paul knew them very well which is why the Lord put him in front of the Gentiles. The Jews from that particular synagogue were not ready for salvation. Their hearts were not open. Like the Jews and Gentiles of Antioch, everyone has an appointed time to believe and come to Christ. The only one who knows the exact appointment is God. Our timetable does not matter. Only God knows what needs to take place in a person's life for them to believe. Only God knows which message or messenger he will use for a person's appointment with salvation. If you are already a believer, trust in the fact that you had an appointment with salvation. If you are not yet a believer in Christ, maybe your appointment has not yet arrived. For some of us, it took having a whole in us or in our lives for us to be searching for meaning, searching for God. There are some who sit on the pews every Saturday or Sunday that have not yet had their appointment with salvation. God is the keeper of all time and knows when it's your time. Maybe it was your time last Saturday or Sunday (depending on when you celebrate the Sabbath), but because you feared being starred at, you didn't make your appointment.You are the one who loses out on peace and eternal life. Maybe you were going to attend service last week but didn't. If you had, maybe that would've been your appointed time because it would've been the message you needed to hear but you felt like sleeping in. Maybe something or someone else had your attention. Your appointed time is not about pleasing anyone else or making anyone else feel good. It's about you and the Lord and coming to a place of belief, audibly desiring to make him head of your life and true repentance (to feel remorse for the things you've done). Once you get that point, nothing and no one will stop you. When you get that point, it will be your appointed time.
48When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch and preached in the synagogue. The Jews wanted to have more discussions with Paul and Barnabas about Jesus. In other words, they were still skeptics but it was the knowledge and wisdom of Paul and Barnabas that got their attention. Paul himself was very much learned in their ways before his conversion on the road to Damascus so he could easily identify with them. But Paul knew them very well which is why the Lord put him in front of the Gentiles. The Jews from that particular synagogue were not ready for salvation. Their hearts were not open. Like the Jews and Gentiles of Antioch, everyone has an appointed time to believe and come to Christ. The only one who knows the exact appointment is God. Our timetable does not matter. Only God knows what needs to take place in a person's life for them to believe. Only God knows which message or messenger he will use for a person's appointment with salvation. If you are already a believer, trust in the fact that you had an appointment with salvation. If you are not yet a believer in Christ, maybe your appointment has not yet arrived. For some of us, it took having a whole in us or in our lives for us to be searching for meaning, searching for God. There are some who sit on the pews every Saturday or Sunday that have not yet had their appointment with salvation. God is the keeper of all time and knows when it's your time. Maybe it was your time last Saturday or Sunday (depending on when you celebrate the Sabbath), but because you feared being starred at, you didn't make your appointment.You are the one who loses out on peace and eternal life. Maybe you were going to attend service last week but didn't. If you had, maybe that would've been your appointed time because it would've been the message you needed to hear but you felt like sleeping in. Maybe something or someone else had your attention. Your appointed time is not about pleasing anyone else or making anyone else feel good. It's about you and the Lord and coming to a place of belief, audibly desiring to make him head of your life and true repentance (to feel remorse for the things you've done). Once you get that point, nothing and no one will stop you. When you get that point, it will be your appointed time.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wisdom Is Always Better
Proverbs 8:19
19My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.
Would you prefer the wisdom of the Lord or silver and gold? Most would take silver and gold over wisdom but there's a catch. Without the Lord's wisdom, one will not use silver and gold wisely and it will be wasted. That is also life. We are given life but without the Lord's wisdom we will not know how to truly navigate this life and live our purpose and our life will otherwise be wasted. There is no price tag that can be placed on wisdom. King Solomon prayed for wisdom when he took over the kingdom after his father David's reign. Solomon was young and he was given more than he could handle. Yes, he could have prayed for riches beyond belief but he prayed for wisdom. Why? He understood that what was given to him was precious and so many lives would depend on him to lead. His new leadership role was beyond his natural scope. Solomon was humble enough to recognize that he needed help. He called on the only one who could help him, the greatest companion of his father David, God. And because he called on God for wisdom, he was blessed with riches beyond compare. If you're praying for silver and gold but lack the wisdom of God, how long do you think you will have it?
19My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.
Would you prefer the wisdom of the Lord or silver and gold? Most would take silver and gold over wisdom but there's a catch. Without the Lord's wisdom, one will not use silver and gold wisely and it will be wasted. That is also life. We are given life but without the Lord's wisdom we will not know how to truly navigate this life and live our purpose and our life will otherwise be wasted. There is no price tag that can be placed on wisdom. King Solomon prayed for wisdom when he took over the kingdom after his father David's reign. Solomon was young and he was given more than he could handle. Yes, he could have prayed for riches beyond belief but he prayed for wisdom. Why? He understood that what was given to him was precious and so many lives would depend on him to lead. His new leadership role was beyond his natural scope. Solomon was humble enough to recognize that he needed help. He called on the only one who could help him, the greatest companion of his father David, God. And because he called on God for wisdom, he was blessed with riches beyond compare. If you're praying for silver and gold but lack the wisdom of God, how long do you think you will have it?
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Carry Out the Charge
Matthew 10:30-31
30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid;
you are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus reiterated to the twelve disciples exactly what they were being called to do. He let them know that they would be ridiculed and persecuted on account of His name. But he wanted them to know more importantly that they must speak and do what He has charged them to do. They were not to worry about what would be said or done to them for declaring that Jesus is the way. Jesus said they were worth more than many sparrows and that God even knew the number of hairs on their head. Do you not know that the Lord also knows the number of hairs on your head? He knows that your life is priceless. But he also knows that if He's given you truth to speak that you must speak it in love. But that you are not to worry about being ridiculed for His name. The Lord is aware but He shall indeed make provision for you where He feels it's necessary. We have to learn to trust that if God has charged us to do something that he will give us the resources to carry it. He will give us the words that we are to say at the time they need to be said. No time before or after. Jesus even warned that families may turn on those that who are willing to stand for Christ. Yes, even blood. No one else but the Lord determines where our soul shall go, not even our families. But it all starts with us. Will you stand and not be afraid? Will you carry out His charge?
30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid;
you are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus reiterated to the twelve disciples exactly what they were being called to do. He let them know that they would be ridiculed and persecuted on account of His name. But he wanted them to know more importantly that they must speak and do what He has charged them to do. They were not to worry about what would be said or done to them for declaring that Jesus is the way. Jesus said they were worth more than many sparrows and that God even knew the number of hairs on their head. Do you not know that the Lord also knows the number of hairs on your head? He knows that your life is priceless. But he also knows that if He's given you truth to speak that you must speak it in love. But that you are not to worry about being ridiculed for His name. The Lord is aware but He shall indeed make provision for you where He feels it's necessary. We have to learn to trust that if God has charged us to do something that he will give us the resources to carry it. He will give us the words that we are to say at the time they need to be said. No time before or after. Jesus even warned that families may turn on those that who are willing to stand for Christ. Yes, even blood. No one else but the Lord determines where our soul shall go, not even our families. But it all starts with us. Will you stand and not be afraid? Will you carry out His charge?
Monday, September 19, 2011
Believe It Or Not?
Proverbs 12:19
19Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
King Solomon spoke of the tongue quite a bit but not as much as wisdom and a fool. Truthful lips are ones that only desire to tell the truth. Truth can never be refuted but is always confirmed. God will continue to re-affirm truth over and over. He may do it through people but he may also do it using signs. One that utters truth doesn't desire to harm but knows that it's in the best interest of everyone if the truth be told if God has deemed it to be said. But one that lies will be found out. King Solomon made an excellent point. A liar will always be proven wrong as God always seeks to bring what's done in the dark to light. A lie against someone will be proven to be just that, untrue. God will punish the liar the way he sees fit. The lie may not even be discovered right away. God may allow the clues to lead back to the liar that they may be brought to shame and hopefully to a place of repentance. In some cases, those that lie will lie again to cover up the first lie. Then the truth is so far removed that they may not remember the first lie they told. In a sense, God will allow them to tell on themselves as keeping up with all the fictional stories is difficult to do. It becomes a believe it or not dramatization but it doesn't have to be if one keeps truth on their lips.
P.S. Tune in on Wednesday, September 21st from 6am-9am ET as Personal Development Blogger, Sharman J. Monroe will be interviewed on the Leap of Faith Show by Stubbs at www.leapoffaithshow.com. And be sure to catch the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment during the inspirational corner on the Leap of Faith Show Monday-Wednesday every hour on the hour from 6am-9am ET.
19Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
King Solomon spoke of the tongue quite a bit but not as much as wisdom and a fool. Truthful lips are ones that only desire to tell the truth. Truth can never be refuted but is always confirmed. God will continue to re-affirm truth over and over. He may do it through people but he may also do it using signs. One that utters truth doesn't desire to harm but knows that it's in the best interest of everyone if the truth be told if God has deemed it to be said. But one that lies will be found out. King Solomon made an excellent point. A liar will always be proven wrong as God always seeks to bring what's done in the dark to light. A lie against someone will be proven to be just that, untrue. God will punish the liar the way he sees fit. The lie may not even be discovered right away. God may allow the clues to lead back to the liar that they may be brought to shame and hopefully to a place of repentance. In some cases, those that lie will lie again to cover up the first lie. Then the truth is so far removed that they may not remember the first lie they told. In a sense, God will allow them to tell on themselves as keeping up with all the fictional stories is difficult to do. It becomes a believe it or not dramatization but it doesn't have to be if one keeps truth on their lips.
P.S. Tune in on Wednesday, September 21st from 6am-9am ET as Personal Development Blogger, Sharman J. Monroe will be interviewed on the Leap of Faith Show by Stubbs at www.leapoffaithshow.com. And be sure to catch the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment during the inspirational corner on the Leap of Faith Show Monday-Wednesday every hour on the hour from 6am-9am ET.
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