Tag: bible

God’s Son: The Ultimate Sacrifice

On By SonjaIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Jesus began calling his first disciples out of the saltshaker and into the world.  And guess where the saltshakers had found refuge?  In the synagogues!  Yes, hiding in plain sight. What you may not realize is that John the Baptist was actually the first preacher of the gospel. John’s message was one of repentance. The Holy Spirit had already informed him that the kingdom of heaven has come near. John preached that the Pharisees’ and Sadducees’ had already been warned by the prophet Isaiah.

This situation came about after Jesus had been reluctantly baptized in the Jordan River by His cousin, John the Baptist.  After this took place, two additional events happened.  First, God opened heaven and Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.  Then, a voice from heaven was heard: “This is my Son, Whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Those two events were confirmation and proof positive that Jesus Christ was the Messiah…just as John the Baptist had proclaimed.

Nevertheless, Peter’s denial of ever knowing Jesus and his braggadocio expressions of false endearment toward Christ was a let down. Also, Peter did not stay awake while Jesus prayed to his Father. Seemingly, towards the end of Jesus’s life on earth, Peter tried to avoid being publicly identified as a Christian. (That situation can be associated with many followers today.)

Perhaps the Lord knew from the get-go, that his life’s road would be hard to climb. Thus, he allowed the Holy Spirit to lead him into the wilderness, and there he went on a forty day and night fast.  Jesus was also tempted by the Devil during this time.

Jesus overcame the wilds of the Devil and was successful in causing Ole Slew-foot to flee.  Next, angels came and attended to Jesus. However, the Pharisees’ disdain for Jesus was never appeased. Jesus’ teaching on: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you,” never took hold in the Pharisees’ heart.

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

God Has a Sense Of Humor

On By SonjaIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Reprint from June 27, 2024

Who woulda thought it! Yes, our God is all-knowing and all-powerful. “But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says: “God is opposed to the proud and those who oppose him, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

And not only does that cause God to smile, it also causes God to laugh.

For example, re-examine the story found in 1st Samuel 5:1-5. There you will find the incident where God’s chosen people, the Israelites, were using the Ark of the Covenant as a good-luck charm as they went into battle with the Philistines. Not only did the Israelites lose the battle, they also lost the Ark of the Covenant. The Philistines placed the Ark in their temple along side Dagon their idol god.

The next morning when the Philistines went into their temple to worship Dagon for their victory over the Israelites they found their god Dagon flat on his face. They re-erected him, but the following morning they found Dagon’s hands and feet completely cut off. God found humor in what he had done as recorded in Psalm 59:7-8: “See what they spew from their mouths—they spew out words from their lips, and they say, “Who can hear us?” But you, O Lord, laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations.

The Ark of God vs Dagon, the Philistine’s god.
NOW FOR A LITTLE HUMOR TO TIE THE STORY TO EVERY DAY LIFE.

A middle-aged woman has a heart attack and is taken to the hospital.  While on the operating table she has a near death experience.  During that experience she sees God and asks if this is it.  God says no and explains that she has another 30 years to live.

Upon her recovery she decides to just stay in the hospital and have a face lift, liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, etc.  She even has someone come in and change her hair color.  She figures since she's got another 30 years she might as well make the most of it.

She walks out of the hospital after the last operation and is struck and killed by an ambulance speeding by.  She arrives in front of God and complains; "I thought you said I had another 30 years!"

God replies, "I didn't recognize you."

Moral of the story:

Does your appearance reflect your true life style?  Or are you just pretending with God!  Using him as a good luck charm as the Israelites (God's people) and the Philistines (God's enemy) did?

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

God’s Explanation Of: “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”

On By SonjaIn Uncategorized5 Comments

But first, take a 3 minute listen to how the late Diva, Tina Turner, expresses this highly misunderstood emotion. Just click below the title: YouTube • Tina Turner

Have you ever stopped to think what it cost you to just live each day in a world filled with slow-burning anger, discontentment and a debilitating disposition filled with discuss towards your fellow man and others whom you have no idea who they are? Just think about it!! Mad at the world, fed up with our political systems, cajoling you to engage in acts that you know would not be pleasing to yourself or to your Maker in the end.

Thanks be to God there are holy scriptures that can help you overcome these deep-seated and destructive feelings.

Don’t you know, that if you don’t do anything about your ill-gotten feelings, you will pay a horrible price in the end and your overall health could also become detrimental to your life expectancy. The choice is up to you.

When we choose to serve one another in love, it could mean that we have to spend more time with them and try to get an understanding as to why they say and do the things they do. If it is at all possible, we can ask them how they came to their conclusions concerning the matter. Scripture, also reminds us that we, too, can bring along another resource person of our choosing to help navigate the issue.

If religion, nationality, gender or physical impairment is the stumbling block, enabling the meeting of the minds, seek professional guidance before kicking your brother or sister to the wind.

By doing so, we have put aside condemnation, judgement and criticism towards our fellow man. What’s left is a realization of peace, love and joy for our fellow man and that we are also at peace with our Maker.

Following is my own personal experience when I had ‘OUGHT’ against my brother…

There is no doubt as to what the word ‘ought’ means in this context. It clearly speaks to the fact that a person (me for instance) has offended someone. My offense happened while on an international mission trip to South Africa some years ago. I was presenting a biblical lesson to a group of African men and women on the Bible verses in Matthew 5:23 & 24. All the while I was speaking, an elderly gentleman in the front row was mumbling out loud in his native language and was becoming very agitated and disturbing. Next to him sat his young grandson who was trying to comfort his grandfather and calm him down.

Finally, I had no other choice but to halt my discussion, approach the young lad and inquire what his grandfather was saying. The boy responded that his grandfather was sadden because what he had done could not be undone. He had stolen a chicken from his neighbor, cooked and fed the chicken to his family and now, due to your teaching, it is impossible to return it.

NOW I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE…

It was not until I had finished writing this blog today that the Holy Spirit nudged me and said, “My child, you are the guilty one. To this day, you have never asked Me for forgiveness for your selfish, insensitive, reaction to my servant in Africa. While the old gentleman received a blessing by hearing the Word of God and obtaining a better understanding of the Word, he asked for forgiveness and received it from Me. In his outbursts, he was thanking Me. However, you have never returned to Me and asked for forgiveness for having ‘ought’ against the old man for interrupting and disturbing your teaching! WHILE ALL THE TIME, IT WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVING COMFORT, UNDERSTANDING AND INCREASE INTO HIS WORD TO THIS GRANDFATHER!

You’d better believe, that before I went to bed, I fell on my knees and ask the Lord to forgive me for my slothfulness and disrespect for HIS teaching. (Back in the day, when I was much younger, I now realize that I may have robbed God of a lot of repentance prayers and praises for His awesomeness, protection and patience with me while acting on His behalf.) May I never forget that it is God Who gives the increase! Amen.

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