Don’t Let Anger Cause You to Sin

Anger is an emotion that everyone has. Even babies exhibit anger. It is natural and we were created with this emotion and all other natural emotions because we come from God- even God gets angry. Usually, anger is viewed in a negative manner because people who exhibit the emotion at a given time, usually don’t know how to temper their anger. They show the anger, ragingly reveal their anger verbally, and then also add fuel by acting out their anger. It really is okay to be angry at someone and because of bad happenings. You are allowed to have internal anger and instead of suppressing it, you should express your anger in a healthy manner. I don’t want to get too detailed with the healthy ways of expressing anger. Just know there is a right way and a wrong way to do so. At the end of the day and when it’s all said and done, even if your anger was expressed negatively towards someone, humble yourself and apologize for whatever it is that now may have caused them to get angry- now two or more individuals are angry and there is no resolve. “Let not the sun go down on your wrath.”

But acting out in the wrong manner and going to bed with a troubled and disheveled spirit profits you nothing. One wrong outburst or act done in anger will more than likely cause the offender to regret something that can never be undone.

A perfect example is found in Genesis 34. A story that could’ve, would’ve, should’ve turned out beautiful, became a horrific end. A man named Shechem was very indeed interested in Dinah, Jacob’s and Leah’s daughter. He violated and defiled her, but fell in love with her. Shechem knew that by sleeping with Dinah, that she would be considered his wife. Now, I can’t say whether or not he initially had good intentions and I want to believe that he did have noble intentions but was afraid to ask Jacob for Dinah’s hand in marriage because these were two different nationalities with very different customs, but I can only think of the various reasons he went about dealing with Dinah in this manner. The story does not include Dinah’s thoughts or wishes of the matter. Did she also love and want marriage? Did she herself feel she was violated and wanted nothing to do with Shechem?

Shechem and his father wanted to make peace treaties between their nation and the Isrealites and even humbled themselves into circumcision. Shechem offered a gift and dowry amount based on the choosing of Jacob but whether Dinah wanted the marriage or not, her brothers, Levi and Simeon took it upon themselves to act vengeance upon Shechem and his people (Hivites). The question is asked, were they justified due to the fact their sister was violated? Well, they were justified in anger, but not for the sin they allowed their anger to cause. Their vengeance also was stemmed in pride, which helped them justify mass murder.

Jacob was gravely disappointed with their actions and knew that this had made a rift between the nation of Isreal and other nations who could have provided peaceful interactions and forms of alliances. Later, Jacob reveals what Simeon’s and Levi’s anger caused.

Genesis 49: 5-7:

“Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations; O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall; cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.“

Temper your anger.

He Searches the Heart and Tries the Mind

The Lord desires that we strive to live a life to please Him. There are many examples where the Lord tested His people to see what was in their hearts. Many times, He sent His spirit to keep us from sinning against Him. The Hebrews were tested in the wilderness and another great example is found in Genesis regarding Abraham, Sarah, and king Abimelech. Because Abraham was afraid that foreigners would take Sarah as their wife and kill him, he and Sarah acted as brother and sister to prevent this from happening.

Genesis 20:2-6:

“And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah; but God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife; but Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this; and God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.”

It is beautiful knowledge to know that the Lord loves us so much that He moves our heart not to go against Him. One thing is for certain, no one goes without scrutiny, search, and testing.

Jeremiah 17:10

“I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

1 Chronicles 28:9

“And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.”

And every child of light should echo:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart:try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

Faith Without Works…

It is integral to understand that faith without works will profit us nothing. Meaning, some one may have all the faith required for belief in great things to come; the faith is greater than the size of a muster seed; prayers have been prayed in faith and the believer knows they are bound to see manifestations based on the faith that is planted within the heart and the professions they have made.

The only problem here is that the believer was deceived into thinking faith is all that is necessary to produce great things or they became comfortable with the notion that their faith was large enough so that they did not have to physically do anything to witness what they believed.

Now, though faith and the different measures thereof are treasurable gifts, it is different from grace. Though we can pray for grace, grace is freely given without deserving it. We all have a basic level of faith that we were inherently born with (faith in the Greater Power; general faith in people; faith in yourself) but there is a different level of faith required to actually see “things” come to pass. In some cases having faith the size of a musterseed is all you need-maybe to witness a miracle or some form of blessing. Even in these cases, one still has to pray and believe, which is the “work.” But for most things in life, physical actions and your “work” towards the faith is necessary because this is how the Lord tests your faith to show you what level of faith you have and your efforts towards the blessing. Faith without works equates to nothing and is compared to the body and spirit in scriptures:

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Cor 3:13).

Overall, everything must be in the will of the Most High in order for you to obtain them.

By Grace Are We Saved, but We Still Have WORK to Do

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is a great verse to revel in when you inevitably began to get within your darker emotions and feelings and began to burden yourself with whether or not you are doing enough through righteous living and good deeds. Now, one should strive to genuinely do these things but should not mistake this as being enough to gain salvation. Through maturity, knowledge and understanding, one will learn that the gift of eternal life and salvation is worth working towards; worth living for.

That same knowledge, understanding, and maturity will point out that one does not receive grace because of who they are or solely based on the good acts they continuously do, but just because of grace by itself and what grace means. Grace is not earned but is always freely given. We have the power and ability to give genuine grace to others and the Most High through Christ gives us grace on the daily. The difference is that a person’s grace may run out due to principles, error, and emotions, but the Most High’s grace remains constant- as long as you have breath to witness the grace.

Although grace is freely given and one does not have to work for grace, there is such thing as praying for grace. On top of this, one should not believe that just because grace is provided that they do not have to produce anything at all. No. One still has to put in work and vehemently work towards the kingdom as all that we do should be for the Lord and the kingdom.

So one should not sit and twiddle thumbs thinking they can leisurely or passively let life go by. You still have to show the Lord you are always down for Him as He is for you. You still have to use all that He has given you- talents, gifts, abilities, blessings, and your entire life itself to do service towards the kingdom. We must work and build for the Lord on the foundation that has already been laid for us.

Accordingly, 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 states:

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building;

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon; but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon;

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ;

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is;

If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward;

If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

So, by grace are we saved, but we still have WORK to do!!

The Law of Attraction vs. “As a Man Thinks;” The Most High’s Wisdom vs. Wordly Wisdom

We all want good things and circumstances in our lives. Though we are prone to suffering because it is the effect of the fall of mankind, we really don’t embrace it too well many times. The saying goes, “you are what you think;” “you can have whatever you think you can have;” “what you want will materialize.” In this current century, people from all walks of life are engrossed on the principle of the “Law of Attraction.” If you’re going through hard times, now the cure is “think positive.” If you need extra money, “think positive.” If you’re having a bad day, “think positive.” You need a new job? Well, “think positive.” Personally, this quick band-aid phrase though meant for good, has been quite overused as a quick attempt to show how one has evolved spiritually and because it’s supposed to be the phrase that’s “in,” I guess. It has gotten rather annoying. But shouldn’t we always be thinking positively? Shouldn’t we always be having good thoughts? Of course. The famous scripture before the theory of the “Law of Attraction” was coined states;

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). Again we read, “for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

We are created to thrive in good and positive settings; environments where love and peace are fostered and maintained. Things just go wrong when you stand on the principle that everything is going to be fine, if you just think positive.

If this is the sole principle we should stand on then why do bad things still happen when you thought positive, I mean things still go wrong in your life even sometimes after you thought positive and prayed hard.

One, we cannot control everything in our lives, no matter how hard many want to believe this. We are given control over our lives as a gift and free will, but you cannot and do not control everything in your life.

Two, many use the “law of attraction” alone without having other backing principles. What happens after you have continuously thought positive? What do you do in between thinking positive, other than “think positive?”

This is when the truth of the Most High, which can never be made into a lie comes in. Scriptures inform us to walk by faith; pursue righteousness and holiness; pray without ceasing; ask; and speak things into existence:

James 4:2-3
“Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not; ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

James 5:16
…“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Job 22:27-28
“Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows; thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.”

Proverbs 18:21
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

So, “no,” the “Law of Attraction” does not stand alone. God’s principles are complete and work when applied in it’s entirety. Shortcuts and incomplete philosophies cannot be applied and will only get you so far.

New Wine Into New Wineskins

Just because God is doing a new thing in your life and you are building on new ground does not mean the start will be a bed of roses- you cannot put new wine into old wine bottles.

There is new foundation to be built because you cannot build on old foundation; it must be on new, solid ground so that the foundation and structure is everlasting. This means that things (you and all areas of your life) will have to be broken up and shaken up in order to make the end result a sure thing.

“No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse; and no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles” (Mark 2:21-22).

God promises us in His Word that He will strengthen, stablish, and settle us
(1 Peter 5:10) and that He knows our end from our beginning; having an expected end for us (Jeremiah 29:11).

He intends to give us a beautiful, new path with great promise, but the building of that new path and the process it takes to get there will be bittersweet.

VALIDATE, APPRECIATE, and ACCEPT YOURSELF-ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD

The Living God will put you through circumstances and situations in life that will no doubt teach you how to encourage yourself in Him. Some may think, “wait, I already know how to encourage myself; I do this all the time; I’ve been encouraging myself since I was a child.” While all this may be true, there is a distinct difference between encouraging yourself and encouraging yourself in the Lord.

Encouraging yourself in the Lord basically means to trust in God. It means to go through (not around) circumstances knowing that God is with you and that you are not alone. You simply can’t trust in yourself because with the self comes all of the fleshy burdens that will weigh you down through your trials- ego, pride, stubbornness, lack of trust, fears and doubts, insecurities, negative thought patterns, etc.

When you encourage yourself in God, you are remembering the past blessings and great favors God did for you when you really needed Him to. The miracles that came upon you even when you didn’t pray for them. The times He shielded you from shame and humiliation and blessed you openly to affirm that you are the apple of His eye.

The practice usually comes at a point when you are alone, tired, beaten, stressed, frustrated, and in all types of confusion. Usually people have given up on you and you have given up on yourself. You really don’t feel like pressing forward, but you know you have to because you are still alive and the spirit that dwells in you will not allow you to quit. You know at this point that you cannot trust in man or yourself because after all, if trust in man or yourself worked, you would not still be in this predicament in the first place.

So with nothing to lose but hope in great gain, you slowly surrender to trust God and be encouraged by and through Him. The more you began to trust Him, the more you begin to encourage yourself in Him until you begin to witness the contrast of solely trusting in yourself or man, versus trusting in God. You realize which side you see the best results in.

We all should learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord. It is not something that happens overnight, but indeed a process that takes wisdom, maturity and growth.

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man; it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes,” Psalm 118:8-9.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths,” Proverbs 3:5-6.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD

VALIDATE, APPRECIATE, and ACCEPT YOURSELF

We all need to be validated and accepted. We all want to be appreciated for who we are and what we do. Validation and acceptance can be displayed in many ways- someone genuinely showing you affections of love; receiving gifts from friends; your employer acknowledging your hard work and efforts; a coworker accepting your help and genuinely thankful for the progress you put towards the work. Acceptance and validation is necessary in life because it helps us to understand our unique position in this world and allows us to continue to develop our best and higher selves.

But what happens when you do not validate, accept, and appreciate yourself? You begin, consciously and subconsciously to solely look for these affections elsewhere. Through people, places, things, events, awards, achievements, accolades, degrees, assets, and the such.

It is OK to unconsciously practice this self-defeating behavior when you are not fully aware of who you are, what your purpose is in life, and if you have not yet begun to live as your true and authentic self- the individual you were created to be. It is OK when you just don’t know. But when you begin a journey of spiritual transformation and enlightenment to become your higher self, these old ideas, thoughts, patterns, and ways of doing things will no longer serve you, but only hinder you. In fact, as you begin true growth and development on your spiritual journey, you will come to realize that these old ideas and patterns stifle you and keep you limited. You will began to want to love you, appreciate you, and want to heal all past wounds. You will learn that after the love of God, your own love for yourself is truly what matters.

Everyone won’t love you.
Everyone won’t accept you.
Some just won’t like you.
Many will not validate you.
Some will not appreciate you.
Many will judge you based on your outer shell or extrinsic value (what you have or don’t have, looks, your false identity) opposed to your spirit-man- your intrinsic value.

As previously stated, we all do indeed want and need love from others, but it may not always come or it may come on low levels. Some may even have been validated positively all their lives or throughout their lives and relied on this positive validation to “be,” still without believing the positive affirmations for themselves. Still, some may validate you for their own personal motives and agenda (flattery, smooching, buttering, negative agendas). But you are not defined by what others think of you. You are defined by who God says you are and who you know you are deep inside. That’s why it’s important to read, meditate, and memorize the scriptures daily to solidify your identity through Christ. Know who you are and stand for the truth of your true self. If you are defined by others negatively, reject and refuse that identity.

Renew your mind daily and stand out as the individual you were destined to be. You are required to do so to glorify God and for your own self-preservation.

Romans 12:2- “And be not conformed to this world:but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:16- “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

Philippians 2:5- “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 4:23- “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”

2 Corinthians 4:16- “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man (mind and spirit) is renewed day by day.”

Philippians 4:8- “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Renewing and transforming your mind so that it lines with the truth and who you are is another secret to unlocking and living the life you were meant to live.

LOVE VALIDATE APPRECIATE ACCEPT YOURSELF

Whose Report Do You Believe?

“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb; I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well; my substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth; thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book allmy members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:13-16).

DO YOU BELIEVE THIS SCRIPTURE OR DO YOU CASUALLY READ IT WITHOUT DIGESTING AND APPLYING IT TO YOU????

Being fearfully and wonderfully made means that God made you intricately and marvelously; like an architect building an exotic home; like an engineer who specializes in building unique, distinct, and complicated projects. So He fashioned us individually, with a purpose, and to HIS own liking.

When you learn to understand who God is, you learn to understand and love yourself and you fall in love with your own rarity. Regardless of circumstances, failures, limitations, negative thoughts from others or yourself, and disappointments, if He woke you up, you are breathing, and you belong to Him, He has created you to show His creation.

Just because you may not believe a truth does not mean the truth is not the truth. Just because you may reject these verses does not mean they are not true. So whether you choose to believe and live the truth, God will continue to be faithful and continue to move forward, as He is a progressive power. His Word is true and He even magnifies His Word above His name (Psalm 138:2).

So get on board with the truth, knowing it and living it. God has a plan for His rare creatures and has planned great and favorable things for us. It is our duty to seek Him with our heart; seek the kingdom; seek His will over our own; believe His Word and live as a wonder; a testimony; a rare beauty.

WHOSE REPORT DO YOU BELIEVE??? WE WILL BELIEVE THE REPORT OF GOD!!!!

Listen to the Still Small Voice

What does listening to and obeying the Most High mean? How exactly do we exercise this? Well, first, the Most High God is a spirit so this can get complicated if one is ignorant of His ways. So the Most High is a spirit and sent His only begotten son, Christ, in the form of flesh-man, and also was gracious to send and impart unto us the Holy Spirit- the spirit of wisdom. This means that listening to the Most High and receiving His Word, plan, and vision may be done so in various ways.

He can speak to us through another person- directly or indirectly. He can speak to us through dreams and revelations. He can also communicate to us through our own spirit. Thoughts, signs we get throughout the day; reading; television; radio; angels. He can use anything and anyone to communicate to us. He communicates both good and bad things to us.

The thing is that if we are not tuned into the Holy Spirit and act upon what we “hear” or what is revealed to us, the signs, communication, and revelations He has for us will be overlooked and missed. If we are not aware or do not become aware of the signs and wonders the Most High does on a daily basis to communicate with us, we will do ourselves a disservice of the blessings He pours upon us. We will only be living a limited life. We will be shutting ourselves from one of the many gifts He has bestowed upon us.

I was led to write this particular blog, like all previous ones, out of sheer inspiration. I was recently pondering how much the Most High reveals and talks to me about my personal life through many different avenues, on a daily basis and how he has been doing this all my life, but I was unconsciously tuned out many times, sometimes only getting bits of His revealings.

Be aware of the still small voice. Be aware and conscious of the ways of the Most High. He communicates to us in various ways, some simple and some peculiar. We just have to have an ear to hear and actively listen to that voice.

PURE GOLD

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