Predestine (Book Appendix Excerpt)

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. (Ephesians 1:11)

Predestine means to decree beforehand or ahead of time.  Also in anticipation, expect, look forward to, or to make happen earlier than due. God had you in mind before you were formed in your mother’s womb. 

As our Heavenly Father, he knows the number of hairs on our head.  God knows the end before the beginning.  He knows what we have need of before we need it.  He knows what we are going to do or say before it is done or said.  God is aware of everything that concerns us.

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. (2 Timothy 2:19 - a clause)

You belong to God.  Your mind, body, and soul belong to God.  That’s why it is so important for all of us, as children of God, to develop a closer and more intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father and come into the knowledge of who He is through His Word. 

Often times we spend too much time on the problem instead of the problem solver, and on the infirmity instead of the one who can heal us from all form of diseases.  God has not forgotten about you.  Every tear you have cried and every trial and/or tribulation you have faced are only stepping stones toward your future – toward you predestine God-given purpose.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18 )

It’s time to take off the mourning clothes.  Some people may have written you off and told you that you will never amount to anything.  The devil is a LIAR, because you were created or predestined for greatness and God has need of you.  You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.  Just live a life pleasing to God, stay focus and let God do the rest. 

Moreover whom he did predestinate, then he also called:  and whom he also called, them he also justified: and who he justified, them he also glorified.  What shall we then say to these things?  If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:30-31)

NO NOT ONE!!!

Keep It Real

God is not only loving, patient and caring, He is also Holy/Righteous and hates sin (all sins) period.

Please know that there is no such thing as a big or little sin to God. Sin is still sin no matter if the world/society calls it acceptable or not.

God is a God of order and not the author of confusion.
God chastise/corrects those He loves and is a jealous God.

What I think has happened is that the fear of God's authority is little to none both in the church and world. Almost similar to how children no longer fear their parents or anyone in authority.

The wrath of God is real. There is going to come a time, before the rapture, where God is going to do a major overhaul - clean house.

Everything done in the dark will be brought to the light. What is hidden will be exposed. What has been exalted against the Will, the Way and the Word of God WILL be cast down.

Don't let it be you. Stop playing with God and get your house in order before it is too late.  

2 Chronicles 7:14-15

Keeping Your Flesh Under Subjection (Ch 4 -excerpt)

"FORNICATION"

Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. (I Corinthians 6:18)

Sex outside of marriage, whether you are in “love” or “like” is a sin in the eyes of God.  What is viewed to the world as intimacy between a man and a woman is viewed as morally wrong to God. When God created man, He decided to create woman for man, because He said that man should not be alone.  The concept of sex and intimacy was ordained and blessed by God between a husband and a wife.

            Out of all the characteristics of the lust of the flesh, “Fornication” is an area people shy away from.  Fornication (porneia) is noted as illicit (illegal or forbidden) sexual intercourse.  Fornication is considered as illicit, illegal or forbidden because it goes against what intimacy was created for.  God ordained sexual intercourse for a man and a woman as husband and wife (in marriage). 

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.  (Hebrews 13:4)

              As a single parent, fleeing fornication has been an important aspect of my life.  Many people are not educated in this particular subject.  The Bible tells us, over and over again to flee fornication.  Fornication is so important that it was viewed as whoredom in the Old Testament.  Penalties for fornication were in the form of payment, forced marriages, and even death.

To take this one step further, fornicators are placed in the same category with adulterers, idolaters, thieves, drunkards and so on, as noted in I Corinthians 6:9.  I don’t know about you, but I thank God we don’t live in the Bible days, because what we view as “a way of life” would have gotten us killed – saved and unsaved alike.

You may be saying, “What is the big deal?  It is your body and you can do what you want” or “If the truth be told, everyone is doing it and besides when you love someone you should be able to show them. Right?”. 

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.  (I Corinthians 6:19-20)

            Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity (God, the Father - God, the Son - God, the Holy Spirit)  You and I have the third part of the Trinity living on the inside of us.  Therefore, we must be mindful of how we keep our bodies and what we allow to be placed on the inside of them. 

I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

It is important that we present, give, or even offer our bodies as a living sacrifice.  As a living sacrifice, you are surrendering your will to God’s will and your way to God’s way.  For God to do whatever He wants to do through you, for you and with you.  This is the least we can do, since God has done so much for us even when we didn’t deserve it.  Once again Saints, your body is not your own. 

            So ladies, let me add a little nugget here!  Stop selling yourself cheap for rent money, a car note or even you telephone bill.  Keep the CANDY STORE CLOSED!  CLOSE THE DOORS TO THE SUPPLY CABINET!!!  Now fellas, stop trying to prove your manhood by having sex with every woman you come in contact with.  You are still a man or a woman even if you are a virgin.  Remember that AIDS has no sexual preference. 

Test driving your relationship by fornicating and/or shacking up will not guarantee you a title or position as husband or wife.  Like our grandparents and great grandparents use to say, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk free.”  Ouch!

Child of God, when you say “Yes” to God and submit your body to Him, God will make the provisions for you to flee or run away from fornication.  God has the power to do anything but fail.  All you have to do is surrender your body and mind to His authority, to His will and to His way.  God is able to keep you, if you want to be kept. 

For that which I do I allow not:  for what I would, that I do not; but what I hate, that I do.  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  For I know that in me (that is, my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:  for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.   (Romans –7:15-19)

Getting Loose From People And Their Stinky Thinking (Ch 3)

  

Theme Scripture (Matthew 13:24-30 NKJV)

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’  The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’  But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’ ”

Some would ask why on earth would there be a need to be delivered from people when the Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:25 not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.  It is important, as a believer to be in fellowship with other believers.  When people, of like spirits (believers) come together in a unified manner, strength can be drawn from one person to the other.  When you come together on one accord with one purpose in mind, then the plan of God can be fulfilled. 

The types of people you and I need to rid or loose ourselves of are those individuals who are unequally yoked to us spiritually and mentally.  For clarity purpose:  You can be unequally yoked to a non-believer as well as a believer, who have accepted Jesus as their personal savior, but is not living their lives according to the Will of God.  Everyone that is in the church is not living for God.  We have tares among us from the pulpit to the pews.

 

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?  (2 Corinthians 6:14)

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith].  For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness?  (2 Corinthians 6:14 Amplified Version)

 

When you are being delivered from people, you are not being delivered from them as a person, but from their “Negative Attitude”.  I have learned over the years that it is not what you see on the outside that you must ward off, but what is operating on the inside of that person.  Every word that proceeds out of their mouth is negative and lifeless.  They are not happy or content with their own lives; therefore they are trying to do everything within their power to make your life miserable.  These are individuals within your inner circle.  The ones you trust and rely on for everything.

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man (Psalms 118:18).

            The scripture tells us that it is better or advantageous to put your trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.  It is interesting how the Bible says trust in the LORD and confidence in man instead of trust in man.  Although the word trust and confidence are very similar, they are different in meaning. 

When you have confidence in someone, you are positive, certain and even convinced that this person will be able to do a particular function or task.  Although your relationship with this person is based on trust and intimacy (closeness), when they fail a particular task, you may become disappointed.  You may even feel frustrated or disillusioned, but you are not heartbroken.

When you trust someone, your level of expectation is heightened.  Not only do you have confidence in this individual, but also have placed a charge or responsibility upon them to do just what they said.  In some instances, your trust in someone may require you to hold him or her accountable for your very life.  Once your trust in someone is broken, it may take months and even years to regain their trust.  When someone has broken your trust, you must learn how to forgive him/her and move on. Forgiveness is a key to getting loose from people. 

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22)

 For all my analytical readers, seventy (70) times seven (7) is four hundred and ninety (490) times.  To break this down, we are to forgive our brothers and sisters every time they sin against us.  No matter how much it hurts or how many times they do it, we must forgive them.  Just as we are constantly expecting God to forgive us, He expects us to forgive them as well.

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you and your trespasses.  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive you your trespasses (Mark 11:25-26).

In addition, to forgiving those who have sinned against you, you must live your life for Jesus.  Don’t be concerned about what people may say or think.  Focus on God and love them in spite of their actions toward you.  For Jesus loves us in spite of us.

 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:34-35).

 

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Know Your Purpose - updated

God deals with me through analogies. This was actually one of them when I was either thinking about my purpose.

So what is my purpose? The obvious one was to be a good mother to my son. The other part of my purpose was to live a life pleasing to God.  Okay, I got those 2 down, but there has to be more.  

As I was pondering on this question, I was led to pickup a spool of thread that had a needle attached to it. As I looked at the needle, I begin to think about the purpose of the needle and the thread.

When the manufacturer created the needle, he or she knew that the sole purpose of the needle was to allow the thread to go through it's eye in order to sow something together. The needle can’t function without the thread and the thread can barely function without the needle.

There are times when the needle and thread can’t do it's job properly. For example when either the eye of the needle is too small or the thread splits while trying to put it through the eye of the needle.  So what do you do when this happens?  Sometimes the solution could be as simple as cutting the end of the thread so that it won’t split.  Another solution could be to get a bigger needle, because the eye is just too small for the thread. And then the one trying to put the thread through the needle may need glasses. Just saying.

There have been times, in the midst of our frustration, that we discarded or threw the needle away thinking that something was wrong with it.  When, in actuality, there was nothing at all wrong with the needle, from a manufacturing standpoint. The error was with the user (User Error).

When God created you, He didn’t make a mistake. He knew, before you were formed in your mother’s womb, what your purpose would be.  Along the way, things got distorted because of various hindrances or obstacles in your way. Some of the obstacles can be pin pointed right back to “User Error”.

Stop allowing the devil to use you, since he didn't create you.  Although the devil may know a little more about you, then you do of yourself, he doesn't know your true purpose. Especially if you are a child of God. Don’t let situations, doubt, fear of the unknown or even the opinions of others keep you from being who God has created and pre-ordained for you to be.  You are not a mistake. You were created in the image of God. Switch ownership. Allow God to use you so that your purpose, in Him, can be revealed.