Who knew! Oh yes! God surprised me one day many years ago when I was preparing a fun game that my church sister-girls could play while on a training conference retreat. Our president said to me one day, Sister Sonja, you always come up with the most interesting exercises for our group to perform that excites everyone. So, for our upcoming conference I challenge you to present the group with some delicious “Bible-Lickin’-Good” recipes.

What a fun challenge, I thought. Lord, don’t fail me now! Please take me under your wings and let’s fly.

The Holy Spirit said to me, “I’ve got something for you, My child, that will knock their socks off.”

Did you know that there are more than one hundred different scriptures in the Holy Bible concerning preparing food concoctions? Well, after doing my research for the challenge my president handed me, I could not wait to get home to pursue the challenge. The Bible depicts food preparation as a daily chore and also as a means of entertaining strangers and guests.

Listed below is a short list of scriptures that prove my point:

1. Esau was so hungry after a hunting experience that he sold to his brother Jacob his inheritance for a bowl of red lentil stew.
2. Even Jesus cooked breakfast for His disciples on the shore of Galilee. Jesus’s menu: fish and warm bread.
3. The Bible also tells of an angel baking bread on hot stones for the prophet Elijah.

Now for my challenge, I wanted to do something a little different and more challenging. So, check out the 4 recipes I came up with below. (Prizes were also given.)

Below Is A Word To You From The Holy Spirit:

Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. (1 Timothy 4:14-15)

Click: http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

As a servant manager (blogger) for Christ, there should be no concern for one’s own fame, fortune or popularity.  Keep your eye on The Prize…The Holy Spirit!  He will unravel the mysteries of the kingdom.  Thus, the Master’s servant managers (us Christian bloggers) are those persons through whom new Christian converts can increasingly learn more about where to find examples of how to strengthen their godly character and faith that is hoped for and then pass it on to others.

So, now you have attended all of the required courses and have graduated. Your diploma reads, “Masters In Biblical Etiquette”. Your character has been transformed. Thus…

Mr. and Ms. Character, your lives are now an open book. It’s an interesting book extended to all those who care to read it. There is no discrimination; from the smallest child to the oldest human being alive you have a message.

Thus, I salute you both for those unselfish efforts you have attempted to perform in the lives of others. You know, you are really like mirrors…that is, you reflect in every mood. Every experience you encounter is automatically revealed.

For those who can’t read, there are pictures or shall I say reflections that one can pattern after as he molds his way of life in this trying world.  For the more advanced reader there is a plot to follow which oftentimes may have you bickering with yourself and causing you to put it aside as if it was philosophy. Thus, in everyone’s library this book is essential.

It is a must to take an interest in Character.  It is a compelling obligation that we must encounter if we are to advance and know truth and enjoy the better things of life.

Conversely, the characteristics one displays depend upon oneself.  The expressions one wears will disclose their disposition.  The moods they dress in will uncover their personality.  The words they send out will reflect their intelligence.

Come unto me, Mr. Character is calling, and I will mold for you the sweetest disposition known.  Come unto me, He beseeches you, and I will shine for you the brightest star of personality.  Come unto me, He is beckoning, and I will give you an understanding and peace of mind.  I will give you advice…such as pick your friends, but not to death.  Remember to laugh with others, but not at them.  Work with initiative, but not against it.

This remarkable Book can be yours for only a glance.  Mr. Character is a reflection in your nearest mirror.  Look it over.  The character you see just might be YOU!

“What we {Your Servant Managers} have heard and now known, what our fathers {brothers and sisters in Christ]} told us. We will not hide those words from people we meet; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, His power, and the wonders He has done (Paraphrased from Psalm 78:3-4).

My solemn prayer for everyone who reads this blog: Dear Heavenly Father, I so much want to thank You for the privilege of being able to share my faith with others and that I can testify to them of You and Your love in such a bold manner. Especially during my time of bereavement centered around the timing of the death of my only son. I pray that You and You alone will open the hearts and lives of your children. Amen and Amen.

Click: http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

This week I have been challenged to prayerfully partition the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and to proclaim the subject He has for me to blog about for this week. The original subject came to me thirty years ago. As I recall, the time was around December, 1996. I was preparing for an adult Sunday School lesson from the book, Good News For Single Folk, by Dr. Jeremiah Wright. I remember I was being hindered from developing my outline because I was starting from the wrong premise.

As I poised my pen to cross out yet another sentence for the umpteenth time, I paused. I felt in my spirit someone was calling my name. In a whisper I said, ‘Speak, Lord.’ Immediately, I was led to Luke 19:10:

“…for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

With trepidation, I asked the Holy Spirit what exactly was it that was lost and how does it apply to singles. Again, I was led to read several scriptures in Genesis 3:21-24. There we find all of the provisions and disciplines God administered to ‘fallen’ mankind.

• We were now to be clothed in garments of skin because we had lost our glorified bodies.
• We now knew good from evil, thus we lost our innocence. Therefore we have no excuse.
• Our minds became befuddled and we didn’t know what was good for us. In other words, we lost our freedom of choice.
• Death was ushered in and we lost eternal life.
• We were banished from the Garden and lost our eternal home and all the luxuries that went with it.
• And finally, because of the Guardian Angels with the flaming swords, we lost easy access to the Way.
• God placed stumbling blocks in our paths.

Once again, I humbled myself and asked the Lord what does this have to do with singles? God said to me, Tell the class that because of the acts of the first couple, (Adam and Eve), the sanctity of marriage was also abridged. Divorce and unfaithfulness were imminent. But the good news is Jesus Christ. He is the Bridegroom who would never be unfaithful to his God nor to his Bride.

So, in his communion time with me, Jesus put forth this proposition in a still small voice…’Since married couples are considered single in my Father’s eyes (and the two shall be one), and single people are already single, tell everybody in your Sunday School class to marry me! Let’s elope before you have time to get lost again.’

My special prayer for all my followers…

What good is it, my brothers (and sisters), if (we) claim to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save us? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead (James 2:14, 26).

Dear Heavenly Father, make me prepared not to only ask things of You but also to have the right motives so that my prayer requests will be granted. Amen and Amen.

Click: http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

Many years ago, I had a dream. It was amazing. I had never thought of this ‘truth‘ before. This new eye-opening and informative message caused me to wonder if others had somehow missed this fact, too. Here it is…

A fictitious local television station (WWJD) was streaming an extremely informative series on their faith community’s “Neighborhood Watch” feature. They approach total strangers and inquire of them if they would accept an invitation to visit their Church. The reporter follows that question with: “Did you know that when the average person becomes a Christian, he or she is not necessarily thinking ‘horizontally’ about what just happened. i.e., that they have agreed to be adopted into a new family of people. Instead, they are usually thinking ‘vertically’–that is, looking upward to a new-found relationship with the Almighty God and Jesus Christ.

What is not realized at the outset is the fact that the Kingdom of God is like a composite of family members. And that God ordained the creation of a new family community right here on earth made up with those who have become his followers. Basically, the walls that contain the family is called the church; and the place without walls is the heart of the confessed believer.

ISN’T THAT GOOD NEWS!

Jesus’ first group of followers were a community of various people. Better known as the 12 disciples or apostles, this group of men were all baptized, ate and prayed together, performed miracles, wonders and signs, and ministered to the people. (Acts 2:41-47) Over time, the new baptized members learned to participate in the services and other activities of the church. But most of all, the membership learned to fellowship with one another.

What about you? Since your conversion, have you been responsible for introducing someone else to Christ? I asked myself this question and without much hesitation, could recall several opportunities where the Holy Spirit had given me the unction to approach total strangers. My first approach is generally by expressing a compliment concerning something relating to them.

Once when I was eating alone in a restaurant, I noticed a young lady also eating alone seated not too far from me. After a while, I introduced myself and invited her to join me. I learned she had just relocated to my city and was looking for a new beginning. What an opportunity to inquire if she was also looking for a new place of worship. But I said nothing at that time. So, at first I commended her on taking such a brave step. (My agreeing comment allowed her to continue expressing personal information about herself.) The conversation proceeded from there (with her talking and me listening) and NOW with so much information at hand, ultimately, I finally spoke of the sisterhood and family-friendly church home I had and invited her to attend. You guessed it! She eventually became a member of my church. The rest is history.

A few years ago, I celebrated a milestone birthday with a large party attended by a host of family and friends. After reading an article in the AARP monthly magazine, I followed up on what a reader and contributor to the magazine had done. I read where she had given a sum of money to each party participant and had asked them to pay it forward. As a result, she had received feedback from some of her guests with inspiring stories of gratitude. So, I decided to do the same thing.

For my most recent mile-stone birthday I also celebrated it with a big party. This time, since I had more than 80 party goers, I only gave each attendee a dollar and asked them to add to it if they so desired, but to pass it on by paying it forwarded with a blessing that God would be glorified. For me, that turned out to be the highlight of my birthday bash. And several months later, my attendees are still reporting to me their results.

Believe it or not…my friends….more than seven years later attendees are still talking about that big event.

GOD IS STILL BLESSING ME!!

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME! 

When I was a little girl, my daddy use to sing to me this song as he twirled me around and mimicked playing a piano like Nat King Cole: ‘Straighten up and fly right…straighten up and fly right…straighten up and fly right…cool down poppa don’t you blow your top.”  It’s a song about a buzzard taking a monkey for a ride in the air.  Now, while in flight, the buzzard tries to throw the monkey off of his back.  (Click the picture for more lyrics.)

Straighten Up And Fly Right

Wherein lies the premise for this week’s blog.

I know the lyrics of this song is a stretch in comparing just how many people soar through life’s journey mounted on the wrong set of wings, heading in the wrong direction, about to crash and ending up choking on past failures and unrealized illusions.  Those of us who are Believers in Christ should seek to know what His plans are for our lives.  That way, if we adhere to His plan, we are way ahead of the game, and less likely to go off half cocked.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  Ephesians 4:16

What if you don’t have a clue of what God’s will is for your life.  Well, I’m glad you asked. 

Allow me to render the following suggestions that are germane, whether you are a Believer or non-believer.  These points will help you determine if you are operating on God’s time or your own.

• Regardless of what age you are, reexamine your life’s true accomplishments. Ask yourself if they were true contributors to your success and to the benefit of others.
• Were these contributors of success truly recognized by others and expressed in a complimentary and audible way to you. In other words, did anyone else validate what you believed you saw in yourself.
• Along the way, did you listen to your inner voice that prompted you to explore, exercise more faith, or to seek others advice.  Ask yourself; how did I respond.  Did I always do it my way?

I intentionally posed those points above because did you know that all of us have dozens of hidden talents and abilities.  Hopefully, during some phase of your life you have tried to participate in things you have never before tried.  You know that old saying, ‘Try it, you’ll like it’.  It doesn’t matter how old you are now, because you should never give up or stop experimenting.  Scripture reminds us to always consider our hearts and personality:

“Each one should test his own actions.  Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.” Galatians 5:4. 5

God gives each person at least one gift and to others, many gifts.  Experts say you should not try to figure out that gift(s) until you have experienced a number of things in life either physically or through studying about it.  You may even benefit by taking a personality test.  And don’t forget there is a lesson to be learned in your failures.  Pastor Rick Warren says people rarely see God’s good purpose when there is pain or failure or embarrassment.  But Jesus had this to say to Peter when Jesus washed his feet:

“He (Jesus) came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’  Jesus replied, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.'”  John 13:6, 7

Finally, we all have a spiritual obligation to live within the plans God has for our individual lives.  He will richly reward us if and when we do.  This is true because if we don’t abide you will lose the path to God’s understanding of what is that good and perfect work.   It’s like running a race or practicing for some event.  If you don’t exercise your muscles they weaken and become useless to you.  In other words, you either ‘use it or lose it’.

God’s plans are truly an undeserving gift to us which allows us to soar like an eagle…not a buzzard.  And God’s eagle will never try to throw us off its back.  All we have to do is straighten up, seek Him, trust and rely on His word and operate with a cool head and not  blow our top when something so easily besets us.  (Get the picture?  Now does the song make sense?)

Those persons operating under their own strength will lose it and their reward will be a lie that crumbles and fades.  Therefore…

Scripture Lesson:  “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  I Timothy 2:15

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!   

I want to learn more and more about Jesus

Question? Have you ever thought about the inscription you would like to have written on your tombstone? Well I have. And from the beginning, it has always been: “IN ALL THY GETTING, GET AN UNDERSTANDING”. PROVERBS 4:6-7

Yes, ever since my parents and grand parents introduced me to the Lord Jesus, it has been my desire and a blessed journey of seeking an understanding about what, why, and how I could become more and more like Him. Of course, my journey was complicated at first, but as I grew in life and the more I learned of the life and message of Jesus, my soul and desires were for the Holy Spirit to make my quest more and more obtainable.

Therefore, as a child, I started writing letters to Jesus, poems to Jesus, prayers to Jesus, songs to Jesus and drew pictures for Jesus. I even read my Bible to Jesus. I guess you can say I was mesmerized by the life, goings and comings of a Savior named Jesus. I pleaded for a better understanding of why He loved me so. And miraculously, one day while I was reading my Bible, I got stuck in Proverbs Chapter 4. For some reason I kept going over the phrase, “…in all thy getting, get an understanding.” That did it!!!

I buried that Bible phrase in my heart from that day on. I’ve told my family, my friends, my church members and anybody else who will listen, they BETTER write that phrase on my tombstone. And if for some reason they don’t, I’ll come back to haunt them!

Some time ago, while in deep conversation with God, the Holy Spirit shared with me a thing or two about the "Great Physician".  Basically, I came away with this penetrating thought:  "Remain in me (Jesus), as I also remain in you.  John 15:4

So, for this week's blog I want to share with you how to be at peace and in good health in this environment even when our bodies are racked with pain; troubled with disturbing thoughts; and our spirits are questioning our faith on every side.

For your understanding, I will apply certain scripture references that will give meaning to why Jesus used so many examples of life's emotions to teach on how to be blessed and content when all hell is breaking loose around us.

FIRST RULE OF THUMB:  THE PURPOSE

While living down here on earth, those who follow the cross ought always to be salt and light to the world (Matthew 5:13) regardless of what physical, mental or material state we find ourselves in.  If we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our ways and demeanor should bring illumination and savor (preservation) to our fellow man.  Thus, living in a manner befitting the atmosphere of the Kingdom of God!

SECOND RULE OF THUMB:  THE SCRIPTURE

Our scripture is found in Matthew from chapters 4:23 through 5:12.  You will recognize it as containing The Beatitudes.  The word Blessed is used quit often and means more than just 'happy'.  It takes on the ultimate well-being and distinctive spiritual joy of those who share in the salvation of the kingdom of God.

So, during my conversation with God, I asked the Holy Spirit why did He use physical human emotions that depict pain and sorrow to define the word 'blessed' or in some Bibles 'happy'.

For example:  Blessed are the poor in spirit...
                       Blessed are they that mourn...
                       Blessed are the meek...etc.

THIRD RULE OF THUMB:  GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF GOD'S WORD

Why use physical emotions?  Because those examples have a deeper longing and infuse more sincere compassion not only for personal righteousness, BUT also justice for the oppressed.  Let me explain further; when scripture says blessed are the merciful it means that those souls not only forgive others but also have empathy for them.  When you are sensitive to God's forgiveness it frees you from feeling guilty and brings comfort to your soul.

In my quest to share my beliefs as to why we all must prayerfully consider thinking about what we would like to have written on our tombstone is because those thoughts will help you begin living towards that goal. You are actually inviting the Holy Spirit to come and join you in your spiritual quest to please and serve the Holy Son of God.  It will surely help to keep your mind on WWJD.

Try it...You might like it!

Click: http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!