Why did I use that title? Because when we disobey God’s will, we often hinder His plans to bless His people! Therefore, listen up! I have two stories to tell you. The first story is to let you know how a song was born out of a young man’s testimony.

As the story goes, more than two centuries ago, a young man attended a testimony meeting led by Dwight L. Moody, a famous American evangelist. After listening to Mr. Moody’s biblical teaching, a young man was so moved that he stood up and openly testified. He stated that as for him, he would trust and obey. A note addressing the young man’s testimony was sent to John Sammis, a Presbyterian minister and song writer. From that note, Reverend Sammis wrote the hymn entitled “Trust and Obey”. And the lyrics of this hymn has blessed many human souls down through the ages.

The second story allows us to see what can happen when we fail to trust and obey our Lord and Savior. One evening, when I was conversing with the Holy Spirit about miracles performed by Jesus in the Bible, I recognized something. It was brought to my attention, that two(*) of the three leper stories were similar, but the one in Mark 1:41 related Jesus’ mental reaction to the situation. It reads; “Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him.”

Now, as you know, back in the day, leprosy was a deadly disease and feared not only by the people, but the priesthood as well. Yet, after Jesus had stretched out His hand and healed the man, He informed him to go show himself to the priest and tell no other person. According to the Law of Moses, this action had to be done or else the man’s miraculous healing experience would remain ceremonially unclean.

What Jesus realized was He knew that this healing experience would do nothing but encourage more people to riot the city and search Him out for a miracle performance and this disturbance would irritate the governing powers that be. But the disobedience of the healed leper’s report was broadcast throughout the city and Jesus could no longer enter a city without being mobbed by the inhabitants. Thus, hindering His ministry of teaching God’s reason for sending His Son into the world!

(Prayerfully, Click The RED Song Title below.)

Trust and Obey (Hymns with Lyrics)

Be careful! Be careful! Be careful not to hinder any of God’s salvation plans for humanity. Amen and Amen!

MY PRAYER FOR YOU AND YOURS…

Dear Lord Jesus, sometimes I struggle to understand and to trust and obey Your plans for my life. Please, Lord, with the aide of the Holy Spirit, prepare me to wait when You delay and do not answer my prayers immediately. And when You do respond, help me to carry out your directions to the fullest of my capabilities. These blessings are asked in the precious Name of Christ Jesus, Amen and Amen!

(*) NOTE: (Matthew 8:2; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12)

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Have you ever said to a friend, associate or loved one, “Boy oh boy, do you need help?” No? Then I would say to you, Girrrrlll, you definitely need help! Why do I say that. Because as ambassadors for Christ, we should always relate that our help comes from the Lord. And His words of instruction and encouragement are always in our hearts. Otherwise you open up yourself to be a surrogate for someone who actually needs a therapist. And in some cases your advice could do more harm than good.

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years of trusting the teachings of Jesus. I use product advertisements to introduce biblical advice to my friends without sounding pushy or intrusive. Here are a few examples on how you can put God in the mix.

GOD IS LIKE "COKE", HE'S THE REAL THING.
GOD IS LIKE "PAN AM", HE MAKES THE GOING GREAT.
GOD IS LIKE "GENERAL ELECTRIC, HE LIGHTS YOUR PATH.
GOD IS LIKE "BAYER ASPIRIN", HE WORKS WONDERS.
GOD IS LIKE "HALLMARK CARDS", HE CARES ENOUGH TO SEND THE VERY 
     BEST.
GOD IS LIKE "TIDE", HE GETS THE STAINS OUT THAT OTHERS LEAVE 
      BEHIND.
GOD IS LIKE "VO 5 HAIR SPRAY", HE HOLDS THROUGH ALL KINDS OF 
     WEATHER.
GOD IS LIKE "DIAL SOAP", AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU KNOW HIM, DON'T YOU 
     WISH EVERYONE DID?
GOD IS LIKE "SEARS", HE HAS EVERYTHING.
GOD IS LIKE "ALKA SELTZER", TRY HIM, YOU'LL LIKE HIM.
GOD IS LIKE "SCOTCH TAPE", YOU CAN'T SEE HIM, BUT YOU KNOW HE'S      
     THERE.

Bible Verse and Definitions for The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23a)

Acts 4:32a Self-control	All the believers were one in heart and mind.	Restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions or desires.
Acts 4:32b Love	No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.	Unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.
Acts 4:33a Peace	With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.	Freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts of emotions.
Acts 4:33b Kindness Acts 4:34a Forbearance	And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all… …that there were no needy persons among them.	The quality or state of being kind; affection. The refraining from the enforcement of something as a debt, right or obligation that is due.
Acts 4:34b Faithfulness Acts 4:35a Gentleness	For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales… …and put it at the apostles’ feet,	Faithful implies unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted. The quality or state of being gentle; honorable; mildness of manner; or disposition.
Acts 4:35b Joy	…and it was distributed to anyone who had need.	Delight; the expression or exhibition of such emotion.
John 15:16 Goodness	“…but I chose you…so that you might go and bear (good) fruit–fruit that will last…”	The quality or state of being good. (Only GOD is Good. He alone enables us to bear fruit, not we ourselves.)

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I know you have heard the cliche God can do anything but fail. Nevertheless, at this time, I just want you to sit back. Close your eyes and listen to Sister Albertina Walker put those words to music. Click the title below and be blessed.

God’s Attribute: He Can Do Anything But Fail

Now, I want you to read an imaginary conversation. It is between the Bible characters James, brother of Jesus and Job. Job is forlorn and depressed. He feels pitifully sad and abandoned. James is attempting to comfort him.

Jas. 1:2 My brethern, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.

“Job, do you recall when Eliphaz said, Happy is the man whom God correcth: therefore, you should not despise the chastening of the Almighty. (5:17)

Jas. 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

“Well, Eliphaz said that because after your calamity came upon you, you declared that you wished you were dead for you said, “there the wicked cease from trembling and the weary be at rest.” (3:17)

Jas. 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

“But from the very beginning, Job, you kept declaring how righteous you were and that there was no profit to be gained if you were cleansed from your sin. (35:3)

“I was right there when you said, “though he slay me, yet will I serve him BUT I will maintain my own ways before him. (13:15)

Jas. 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

“Honestly, Job, you shouldn’t have added that last part about maintaining your own ways, for you hath spoken without knowledge and your words were without wisdom. (34:35)

Jas. 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

“Our TRUE friend Elihu suggested the manner in which you should have prayed, remember….Surely it is meet to be said of God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more; that which I see not teach me: if I have done eniquity, I will do no more. (34:31, 32)

Jas. 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to him that love him.

“Job, stop that desiring the night and endure: For people that are in darkness are cut off. Shhhhh, lest God should come and take thee away with his stroke. Then a Great Ransom (Jesus) cannot deliver thee and you wont receive the crown of life (36:20, 18)

Jas. 1:19 Wherefore my brethern, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Oh, good, Job. You’ve calmed down. You’ve repented to God by saying…Behold I am vile; what shall I answer thee: I will lay my hand upon my mouth. (40:4

Jas. 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls.

“Then Job said, I admit, God, that I was naughty but now I know with asurety that thou canst do everything and that no thought can be withholden from thee. (42:2)

“Furthermore, I receive with all meekness the engrafted word. For my own words were hollow and without knowledge and understanding….babblings on and on about things too wonderful for me which I knew not. (42:3)

Jas. 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

“Oh, Job, how wonderful our God is!!! For after you repented in dust and ashes and bridleth your tongue and harnessed your deceitful thoughts (Job’s three friends), God forgave you and restored unto you twice as much as you had before, thus blessing you and restored unto you twice as much as you had before, thus blessing you more in the latter days of your life than in the beginning . (42:10)

And Job and his family lived happily everafter. Amen and Amen!

(All Scripture translations NKJV)

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Have you ever given any thought to whether or not God has rhythm? Well, I have. And my research took me straight to Geneses 2:2-3. Scriptures reads that…”And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested(*) on the seventh day from all his work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

Now, here is something I never realized before: God takes no ‘rest’ periods from His creating everything from the first day to the sixth day. It is not only to the end of the 7th day’s work that God is mentioned as the day God allowed Himself to take a rest. In other words, God was going about completing God’s business before He stopped to rest. What a sanctimonious picture for us to meditate on as we evaluate our individual services unto God. (Just how many ‘breaks‘ do we take from our labor each and every day, let alone each week And as for God’s acumen capabilities, they are beyond comprehension.

Now let’s move on to God’s musical talents and inventions He especially adorned to a little Shepherd boy named David who would soon be king of all Israel in 1300 B. C.

 As a period is to a sentence, so a song is to the church.   Every denomination combines melodic tunes or rhythmic chants to their worship experience.  From its beginning until now, the church has used the same means of united rhythmic expression to perpetuate and spread the ideas for which it stands through song.  Thus establishing, without a doubt, that the best means for writing ideas on peoples' hearts is through music.

David was very much aware of this universal truth even as a boy.  His contribution to the world through the psalms is proof that music has no barriers and can be enjoyed by all races and nationalities.

The Book of Psalms reveal to us that there was much singing and many musical instruments in the camps of the children of Israel.  They had stringed instruments; the flute, pipe, horn, and trumpet:  and percussion instruments; the timbrel, cymbals and drum.

Listed below is a list of some of the home-made musical instruments that God put in David's heart to fashion.  He also learned his musical skills from sages and musicians of that time period.

EXAMPLES: INSTRUMENT	MATERIALS
Rams Horn	Remove horns from ram’s head.
Small Harp (lyre)	Fashion wooden frame from tree limb.
Small Drum	Hollow out tree trunk for base. Use sheep hide for covering. Use sheep’s gut for ties.
Flute, Clarinet, and Piccolo	Whittle out Rabbit’s leg bone for high pitch sounds. Whittle out tree limb for medium sounds. Use the reeds from the nearby brook for flute-like sounds.
Tamborine	Use sheep hide or membrane to cover over jawbone of large animal. (It is recorded that David slew a lion and a bear.)
Small Cymbals	Thread small, flat, smooth stones onto thin slivers of bark. Shake or clang them together.
Whistle or Xylophone	Use teeth from large animal (bear) or bones from birds or other small animals.

The Book of Psalms reveal to us that there was much singing and many musical instruments in the camps of the children of Israel. They had stringed instruments; mainly the harp and psaltery: woodwind instruments; the flute, pipe, horn, and trumpet: and percussion instruments; the timbrel, cymbals and drum.

With the above prelude on God’s humanity features, I am hopeful that you now see another dimension of the awesomeness of our Lord and Savior. Stand in front of a mirror. What do you see? I see a reflection of the Lord Jesus looking back at me. Nevertheless, I have made an appointment with my closet. (You’ll get that as you drive home.)

(*) NOTE: It is a promise that God himself will be our source of rest and peace. And it is an example in that while God didn’t need rest, he “rested” on this seventh day in order to build a rhythm into his creation for his people who do (need rest). (Quote from Google posted Dec 22, 2019)

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Have you ever conducted a study (research) on metaphors and symbolisms used in the Holy Bible that impart God’s wisdom, creation, procreation and evolution of mankind? Try it…you’ll like it! Why? Because a metaphor is basically a figure of speech that unites two unrelated thoughts together.

For example, let’s take a look at how “trees” are used to describe people’s activity:

  - The phrase “all the trees of the field will clap their hands” appears in the Bible in Isaiah 55:12
  - Another phrase "Let all the trees of the forest sing for joy".   Psalm 96:12

I prayerfully asked the Holy Spirit why choose trees to represent people and the answer I received was both trees and man were conceived out of the ground. (On the third day and by the seventh day God’s creative work was finished.)

After gleaning all this information, I had to laugh as I envisioned that actually mankind is closer related to trees than monkeys. Us and trees have more in common. We are both fashioned from the ground! To get a better understanding of the use of metaphors please study Judges Chapter 9 KJV. There, Jotham starts a parable which uses trees to represent the citizens of Shechem by different species of trees. You will obtain a clearer picture of the character of the players in this saga. (Move up a notch in your Bible study time.)

Your assignment is to find as many scripture references where the word ‘tree’ is used as a metaphor for people. Below is your last clue:

Mark 8:24-26 King James Version (KJV)

And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

“I sincerely pray that your biggest take-away from this blog will be that Christ Jesus’ died on a wooden cross (on a tree for a tree(s))…you and me! Get it???

Trees by Joyce Kilmer – British accent, read by Ben W Smith

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Is Covid-19 on its way back to our USA states? Some people have voiced that they think so, as well as many medical professional care-givers. So, that is why I am once again RE-BLOGGING this addition. Also, during this political season in the states, hope is once again in the atmosphere.

So, hopefully, you are claiming that you are blessed and highly favored and can be counted on as participating in spreading the Good News about our Maker and His ability to make everything all right. Needless to say, I encourage you to bend the knee and depend totally on Someone who can make everything alright.

————-TRUST IN THE LORD AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING————–

I can only imagine that during this Covid-19 life-threatening and deadly pandemic; the California wild fires causing loss of life and property; and the nations’ political unrest which is arousing citizens to feel disenfranchised, betrayed and demoralized; that these situations are empowering skeptics, god-fearing people and agnostics to call out, ‘God, where are you?’!

No doubt, in times past, God has been your anchor-father, and you communicated with him with ‘no problem’. But lately, you are experiencing a deafening sound of silence. Just when you thought you were dancing with the star-angels, you became a wallflower. (Did I forget to gargle this morning?)

Did God not say we should come as we are? Did he not invite us to enter his gates (presence) with thanksgiving and his courts with praise? (Psalms 100:5) Ask yourself…have I not demonstrated a faith that is steadfast, unmovable and always abounding in the work of the Lord? (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Did not the Lord promise that He would never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) And did He not profess that with man, certain things were impossible, but not so with God. For all things are possible with God. (Mark 10:27)

All I can say to you morally depleted people, is welcome to the wilderness of life’s journey!

Did you not know that God often places his people smack dab in the middle of the wilderness to allow them to grow and be refreshed? That’s right! God wants us to become equipped and fortified to do his bidding here on earth. He also wants to give us experiences so that we are equipped to recognize the enemy (Satan) and to navigate his territory successfully with the aide of the Holy Spirit.

So, as you can see, getting through these dry seasons is not just a matter of waiting on God, ringing your hands and shouting out loud, but you should use this time to search the Scriptures, pray fervently, and encourage and lead others to join you in becoming a partner with God; to hold fast to his unchanging hand and to know that he is up to something good and beneficial for all of his children.

My personal testimony…

Hopefully, we will all learn how to pray with conviction, fortitude, trust and confidence that our Lord and Savior has the whole world and all of its situations in His hands. In October 2013 while on a Buckner International Mission Trip, I attempted to pay for some souvenir books I had purchased. But when I put my hand on my waist to retrieve my money belt it wasn’t there. At that moment, all my strength left my legs and I slumped to the ground. My colleagues were at a loss as to what had caused me to almost faint. As I sat there on the floor trying to compose myself, my first thoughts were that I had somehow been robbed of my money belt. But a holy reassurance came over me and I experienced reassurance that my lucre would be replaced by simply making a phone call to my son back in the United States. So I picked myself up and brushed myself off and continued on my mission assignment for the Lord.

Needless to say, when I returned to my hotel room that evening after visiting the children’s orphan homes, there on the floor and partially hidden under my bed was my fanny purse. Evidently, that morning, I did not tightly secure the fasteners on the purse to my waist. Yes, because I had turned that whole situation over to the Lord, plus I did not harbor ill feelings against the citizenry of Russia, nor did I fret over lost spending money, I experienced peace all that day and performed as a positive witness for the Lord, bringing joy, peace and hope to the little children.

Let us embrace today’s dilemmas with the same frame of mind.

Scripture Lesson: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

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Dear Followers, Friends, Visitors, Students and Lovers who regard and revere God’s Word recorded in the Holy Bible! If all of your ‘getting’ is to get an understanding, then, I have a question for you. Are you familiar with the meanings of Implicitly (spoken in a way that is not directly expressed) and explicitly (spoken in a way that is clearly expressed)?

Would you like to be enlightened on how you can experience true fulfillment as well as ingest a reasonable segment of the mysterious nuances that occupy the storyline of God’s creation and his plans for everything he created?

STOP! Take the time to read Psalms 97:1-13. Allow passages from this short Scripture penned by King David to be prayed to the Almighty and ask him to spend some time with you. Introduce yourself by telling him you have been born again and have accepted his Son, Christ Jesus as your personal Savior and invited the Holy Spirit to rest, rule and abide inside you as your Master Teacher. Enter into your quiet space. Shout to the Lord with a voice of triumph! Seriously proclaim that He is God all by Himself and thier is no other gods above Him.

The secret is that the Bible is inundated with symbolisms and metaphors which are the bedrock of understanding the Bible. There are two particular OT Bible Books that focus on human disciplines and principles to live by: Namely, the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Psalms.

The Book of Proverbs has 31 chapters so it can be read in just one month. Especially the months that have 31 days in them. So why not make a New Year’s resolution and select a month in 2025 that has 31 days and then make a vow to incorporate the Book of Proverbs as a reading assignment in that month. The Book of Psalms has 150 chapters. Use the remaining eleven months in 2025 to read Psalms.

Now, I am not going to ask you to do something that I would not do. As a member of a 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. telephone Bible Study Group from Monday through Friday, the co-ed group reads 4 different Bible chapters each morning. We are issued a printed calendar for each month with the four chapters listed on each of the days. A volunteer reads a chapter and anyone on the line can pray over a bible verse when the reader finishes. An assistant pastor is explicitly available to interpret any implicitly biblical verses that are misunderstood.

And the results will be that illumination and discernment of God’s Word will become more and more obvious. A much deeper understanding of God’s incorporation of humor will also become more and more obvious to the reader as you rely on the Divine Author, the Holy Spirit, and recognize and accept Him as the third Person of the Trinity. If you are reading the Bible from sun up to sun down, but not leaning on the Holy Spirit to interpret the message, you will be leaning on your own understanding.

And do I dare say, also look for some slang or idiom expressions, too. Although idioms are a very informal language and used between people who belong to the same social group, that definition can be yours if you engage your Bible concordance for translation of certain words. (Different foreign translations of the Bible originally used slang or idioms to translate sentences into English. (Although, the Christian Bible does not say Jesus Christ (God) ever laughed out loud.)

My prayer for you…

Dear Heavenly Father, Please help and empower Your people to walk circumspectly, not as fools but as Your wise children, redeeming the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16). Continue to unveil hidden meanings of Your words. We are no longer duty bound to walk in the ways of the world, but we have been transformed by the renewing of our minds. Please, please help us to be willing to change our thoughts, how to make them new so that we will not only be a new person but will also think in a new way. Amen and Amen!

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