Month: October 2022

God Commissioned The Apostle Paul To Leave Us A Legacy of Golden Wisdom

On By tgifmastermindsIn How To Witness To Others4 Comments

It was not always what the Apostle said that was more precious than gold…but when he witnessed to others, it was what he didn’t say that you could take to the bank!

Many, many, many years ago, the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to strive to get an understanding about the divine information that He was about to impart to me. The Holy Spirit was acutely aware of the fact that in my adolescence years, I was labeled as an extremely gullible child. And this character trait often made me the butt of school yard bullies’ jokes. Yes, I was very naive and trusting of others, and could easily be persuaded to believe something that wasn’t true. Even my own siblings often teased me.

Another characteristic that I had was my ability to remember and recite my dreams which often got me into trouble. Probably because in my dreams I was someone who was accomplished…like a famous movie star, or a world traveler, or a gifted teacher, or a notable writer or poet, or a lady of means. And you guessed it…no body believed me or encouraged me to pursue my dreams.

But God knew my destiny and guided me all the way..

During my ensuing years, I did began to walk in my own destiny. As a young woman, I adopted my epitaph from Proverbs 4:7; “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Longevity of 22 years of gainful employment with a fortune 500 company, afforded me numerous promotions. Initially, I rose from a lowly job in the typing pool, to becoming an Executive Secretary, and after time, finally achieved the title of Building Office Manager of the company’s remote central office in another city. While in that position, I mimicked my superiors investment strategies and learned how to invest in real estate and bank securities. To memorialize my life’s journeys, which had taken so many turns, I began to write a weekly blog on a platform called WordPress. And as the Lord would have it, during my first 10 years of retirement, His spirit prompted me to become engaged in international missionary work. This calling allowed me to travel to many countries all over the world. So, needless to say, this gullible, naive and adventurous girl has lived out her destiny under the influence of her dreams and with the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Now, let me share what the Apostle Paul deposited in my bank account…

Along my journey, the Holy Spirit continues to softly and tenderly speak to me. His message is for me to always present myself in a godly manner, for the Good Lord has much work for me to do in His vineyard. Examine your interactive virtues with others and do not allow your meek and mild personality to be overrun by boisterous and animated dialogue. Consider the Apostle Paul’s messages in at least four gospel letters in the New Testament:

  • “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” (Ephesians 4:1)
  • “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27)
  • “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” (Colossians 1:10)
  • “Walk in a manner worthy of God.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12)

What are the two take-a-ways from these holy scriptures…

The first lesson to be learned is that the deposit slip says it all and the precious message written therein to us all is the equivalent to gold nuggets and is simply this: Always be mindful when we witness to others, to relate incidents that will come across as a duplicable task…if God did it for me, He can surely do it for you. Especially if you want to relate a supernatural experience, you must tell it the way Paul did in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. Paul presented that event as if it happened to someone else that he knew, instead of inundating the egotistical pronoun “I” repetitively.

Paul’s wise wisdom recorded in verses 6-7 helps us to understand why…”I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it, but I don’t want anyone to think more highly of me than he should from what he can actually see in my life and in my message. I will say this: because these experiences I had were so tremendous, God was afraid I might be puffed up by them: so I was given a physical condition which has been a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to hurt and bother me and prick my pride.”

The second lesson to be gleaned from Paul’s teachings is although he was a great orator, disciple, church planter and did much more to further the kingdom of God, he had a big problem. He had a defect in his body and mind. He had an impediment. And in all of Paul’s “getting”, he had not gotten an understanding about Who imposes afflictions. (Paul identified his handicap as coming from a messenger from Satan.) Paul thought he had nothing further to deposit in his bank account, so he prayed for God to withdraw it. To Paul’s deposit slip, God added His grace and told Paul that was sufficient for him to take to the bank.

God’s message to Paul and to us is to always speak modestly and not boastfully when attempting to convert nonbelievers. Allow the workings of Jesus Christ to break the bank! Why? Because if anyone should stumble on the way to the bank and misplace a nugget or two, Christ Jesus can relocate it or replace it with another gold nugget for His edification.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9b, 10

My prayer for you…My Lord, thank You for hearing our prayer. We ask You to please protect us from becoming so used to the message of salvation that we will neglect to accept it for ourselves. I beseech thee to instill in us a belief in You and not our enemies; to speak of our faith spontaneously and not in a puffed up way; to adhere to the fact that it was through Your crucifixion that You made it possible for us to be reconciled with God. Please help us to carry out these golden nuggets of truth as we proclaim Your message and take it to the bank and not keep it to ourselves. In the Precious Name of Jesus…Amen!

Scripture Lesson: “When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.” Acts 13:48-49.

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

God Wants Us To Yield Not To Temptation

On By tgifmastermindsIn Prayers For Life Changes, Prayers For New Beginnings, Prayers For Spiritual Growth

Wow…wait a minute. Let me make myself clear. God is not talking about a famous singing group ‘back in the day’, called The Temptations, of Motown Studio, located in Detroit, Mi. He is speaking to you and me, in a cautiously way. It is God’s intent to warn us to avoid taking or making risky choices in our lives, that can lead to damnation.

But first, I thought you might like to reminisce a little. Take a listen to the video below by clicking the website under the picture. Instructions: Skip the commercials; notice who produced the Temptations’ record; listen to a bit of the music; then come back to my blog post to receive a biblical message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eepLY8J4E6c

The ‘tempter’ of Jesus’ day was ‘Ole Slewfoot’;…the devil himself!

According to Biblical Scriptures in the NT Book of Matthew 4, Jesus was tempted by the Devil at least 3 times: through physical persuasion, 4:3-4; through emotional inquiry, 4:5-7; and through attempting to control Jesus’ actions, 4:8-10. Satan was defeated by Jesus, nevertheless, he fled from Him for a while. Not so with mortals! We are tempted by Satan on a continuous daily basis.

Real life confessions…

In order to yield NOT to temptation, we as Believers have to recognize, perceive or participate in an act that would require confessing it privately to God and/or in a corporate setting. And after we have repented, solicit others to pray for you. Remember, if Jesus was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit when Satan approached Him in the wilderness and attempted to undermine Him, how much more will Ole Slewfoot challenge us? (Especially if we are out of the arch of Safety.) Jesus refused to submit to His adversary and was so steadfast and unmovable in His allegiance to His Father, that God sent Angels to comfort Him after His ordeal. And if we mimic Jesus’s teachings, God will do the same for us!

A word from another wise saint…

Another man, Saint Augustine, who was born in 397 A.D., and who was 47 years old when he wrote his famous book entitled, “The Confessions“. Within the book’s pages Augustine confessed a few of his sinful acts as a young man, and what he believed were the motives for his doing so. Following are 2 quotes from the book’s page verses: (Source of information from Google Search.)

“It was not the takings that attracted me but the raid itself, and yet to do it by myself would have been no fun and I should not have done it. This was friendship of a most unfriendly sort, bewitching my mind in an inexplicable way. For the sake of a laugh, a little sport, I was glad to do harm and anxious to damage another; and that without the thought of profit for myself or retaliation for injuries received! And all because we are ashamed to hold back when others say ‘Come on! Let’s do it!'” (v. 2.9).

“And in the games I played with them I often in order to come off the better, simply because a vain desire to win had got the better of me. And yet there was nothing I could less easily endure, nothing that made me quarrel more bitterly, than to find others cheated them. All the same, if they found me out more and blamed me for it, I would lose my temper rather than give in.” (v.1.19)

So, what methods can be employed to help someone not yield to temptation?…

Saint Augustine suggests that we apply some practical applications: (Paraphrased)

1.  Perhaps you might consider sharing your faults with a mentor, clergy, Sunday School teacher or a friend.

2.  It is a foregone conclusion that mischief metastasizes in the dark as well as in the light.  And when confession is made, it exposes the dark sin in the light and aides in its purification.  Try it!

3.  Odds are that we have already confessed our sin to a close friend, family member or other confidant, so why not have a conversation with the Holy Spirit who can actually help you process it and build resistance against it?
Today’s hymn is “Yield Not To Temptation”. YouTube TheNCrew – Sept. 2, 2020

PREVIEW (Click to hear this hymn.)

2:57

My prayer for you…

Dear God: I humbly ask that you do a new work in me and others who have decided to follow your Son, Jesus Christ. But first, I want to thank you for your creative work as recorded in the Holy Bible. For I know that you are able to perform all things in the atmosphere, especially on earth and also within mankind. So, with sincere pleadings, please teach us how to harness our thoughts and actions. Make them afresh so that we will not only be a new person, but will also think and act in a new way. In other words, lead us not into temptation for yielding only brings about sin.

From now on, Lord Jesus, we want to be like someone who lives only for You. We desire to reach for those things that are above and not beneath. We want to excel to the highest heights where You reside, so that one day we will have sufficient treasures in heaven where we will study want no more. We ask all these things in the Precious Name of Jesus…Amen and Amen!

Scripture Lesson: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2)

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

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God’s Montra: Be Anchored In The Lord

On By tgifmastermindsIn Uncategorized7 Comments
How can this be done?…By allowing your life’s walk to be anchored in the Lord!

Starting from childhood, to be anchored in the Lord, you can become empowered by meditating on His Word!

…And continue meditating on God’s holy Word as you grow into adolescence and later into manhood.

Let’s look at what Biblical meditation is not…

Biblical meditation certainly is not sitting in a lotus position and chanting, humming, rocking, forming circles with your fingers or washing your mind clean from all thoughts. No sir e bob!!! Neither do you need to rush out and purchase a stack of candles, incense, a mat, ear plugs and various CDs by famous gurus. (Just begin your time with the Holy Spirit (your Teacher) by reciting Psalm 19:14: “Dear, Holy Spirit, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Amen”

OK, now that you’ve been enlightened on what meditation is not…let’s look at what meditation is…

Biblical meditation is first and foremost simply focusing on God through prayerfully contemplation on his Word. First, you’ll want to quiet your spirit with a prayer of invitation for the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and ‘dine’ with you. Choose a scripture from your memory, recite it aloud a couple of times and audibly inquire of the Holy Spirit if your interpretation of meditating on that scripture is pleasing to Him. (You can do this by applying and reciting Psalm 104:34: “Lord, may my meditation be pleasing to him (You), for I rejoice in the Lord.”

You may want to continue your conversation (prayer) with the Holy Spirit by incorporating several additional scriptures that reference meditating.

Additional scriptures expressed in your own words, such as…

Psalm 63:6 “When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night…”

Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Psalm 119:97 “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

Psalm 143:5 “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.”

And in conclusion, let us remember…

In the Book of Joshua 1:8, it teaches us the “why” of Christian meditation. It goes like this: “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

Scripture Lesson: “My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. Psalm 49:3

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

God Allowed Me To Experience Life Eternal

On By tgifmastermindsIn Heaven Is For Real, Prayers About God and Me1 Comment

“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.” Luke 6:43-44

This week’s blog is a page from one of my numerous prayer journals that was experienced and recorded more than eighteen years ago. At that time, I was a Sunday School teacher in the church I attended. It is my hope that the retelling of this odyssey will bless your soul just as much as it has blessed mine during my walk and communications with the Holy Spirit.

Ahh…for a good night’s rest I thought after prayerfully studying my Sunday School lesson…

The Holy Spirit awakened me about 4:30 a.m. on that divinely appointed night. I knew it was Him. He instructed me to go get my paper-back book entitled Chicken Soup For The Christian Soul. So, I quietly slipped out of bed and turned on my night light and retrieved my book. In it I found a short story relevant to my Sunday School lesson. It was very appropriate for my third graders.

I said to myself, it would really be nice if I could find a short story directly related to the book of Luke. After leafing through the book, I found the perfect story and it referenced Luke 6:33, a section on giving.

After I finished reading the story, I was smiling and thanking God for awakening me and putting the finishing touches on my Sunday School lesson. I said, oh, Lord, if I had my druthers, heaven would be one long eternal night instead of a place of eternal day. I made that comment because for me and most people I know, God engages us in the most revealing conversations at nighttime or at least in the early dawn while it is still dark outside.

Immediately, my Lord responded. “Daughter, My beloved,” He whispered, “turn to Revelations where I speak of the fact that heaven will have neither sun nor moon.”

           "The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the
           glory of God illuminated it.  The Lamb is its light."   Rev. 21:23

Don’t you see my child, heaven will have neither sun nor moon. There will be no concept of day or night there. I AM IT! When I awaken you at night to speak to you, I am treating you as I treat Myself. I never sleep! So why should you? I’ll say to you like I said to Jeremiah; ‘Do you want to run with the horses?’. Well, I Am the Horse. Wake up, my beloved! Allow me to turn your night into day.

If you want to walk with Me, know that there are no inhibitions that hinder Me. No walls contain Me. No doors are shut against Me. No gulfs divide Me from anything. No restraints bind Me. No insults effect Me. No regiment of time constrains Me. But most of all, no weapon formed against Me shall prosper. I say to you, come to the realization of how awesome it is to be more than a conqueror. Come! I invite you to join Me and experience eternity!!!

So now you, too, know not to curse the sudden awakening from sleep in the night. God just might be turning your nights into days. HALLELUJAH!!!

Scripture Lesson: “I (Jesus) say emphatically that anyone who listens to my message and believes in God who sent me has eternal life, and will never be dammed for his (her) sins, but has already passed out of death into life.” John 5:24

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