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The Spiritual “CURE” for Covid-19

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“If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”…2 Chronicles 7:14

It is August 18, 2020 and Covid-19 is still an “unwelcome guest” in our nation. Many businesses have closed their doors, schools are in-session via virtual learning, masks are now considered an essential piece of clothing, and unfortunately, the fear of catching “Covid-19” is greater than the fear of The Lord. You ask yourself, how did America find itself in this predicament, the answer and the only answer lies in The Bible.

Yet, it is NOT The Bible that people are looking to for the answer to this “pandemic”. We are still a stiff-neck people, lovers of ourselves and of our puffed up knowledge, prideful in refusing to believe that this pestilence can only be cured by GOD! There, I said it, “God is the cure for Covid-19”. Yet, we say, “Let’s look to science, the doctors, the WHO, the CDC, and most famously, “the mask”. Yes, we have devolved into believing that a “mask” can keep us safe from Covid-19, the most deadliest virus of 2020. What is ironic is that THE deadliest virus of 2020 only requires three simple weapons of defense… a mask, frequent hand washing, and 6- feet social distancing. Don’t they sound so powerful and effective? <insert sarcasm> PLEASE do not answer this rhetorical question. I am afraid that too many people would probably say with confidence, a resounding YES! So now that I have stridently revealed my displeasure of Covid-19 for the interruption of my life, let’s look to the Word of God for its cure.

First, let’s establish the purpose of the Word of God. In 2 Timothy 3:16, it reads, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. God clearly left instructions for His people to follow in order to remain steadfast in faith, righteousness, and safe underneath His wings. It is our disobedience and sins that drive us away from Him which results in our defeat, bondage, and judgement. But God thru His agape love for us always provide a way of redemption. We just simply have to follow His directions thru His Word in the Bible.

Since God is bound by His Word, we can rest assure that He will perform it as long as His people are being obedient. 2 Chronicles 7:14 states that, “If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”. Here is the cure to Covid-19, God as Jehovah Rapha, will heal our land upon certain conditions that we must first do:

  1. Humble ourselves
  2. Pray
  3. Seek His Face
  4. Turn from our wicked ways

And then God will be bound by His Word to do the following:

  1. Hear from Heaven
  2. Forgive their sin
  3. HEAL their land.

Wow, the cure has been here for thousand of years way before Covid-19 reared its ugly head. It has nothing to do with the work of scientists and doctors, the WHO, or the CDC. It is a covenant promise made only by the One True Living God! This pestilence can not and will not be cured by man’s human ways or means. Only the hand of The Lord will bring about the healing of our land and the eradication of this pestilence…PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

As always, I pray that this message bless you, provide encouragement and faith in God’s Word. If you would like to partake in the promises of God and become saved, please say this scripture out loud and believe in your heart and you will be save.

Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”.

If you confessed this scripture and believed in your heart, then you are SAVED! And the angels of heaven are rejoicing! As a follow-up to your new salvation, please be sure to get into a Bible believing church and start reading your Bible starting with the Book of Matthew…I am excited for your new adventure with God!

Always sharing God’s Word in Love,

Tamela D. Bowie

Are You SURE???

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“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved:…Romans 10:9

As I am writing this quick message, America, pardon my error… to be more exact, the ENTIRE world is still in the middle of a pandemic. There have been countless lives lost, lives recovered and everyone’s life have been turned upside down. This Covid-19 epidemic has caught many people off-guard and now living in a ball of confusion, fear, doubt, worry, and anxiety. Who would have thought that in the month of March 2020, that our normal everyday lives would be introduced to a “new normal”. This “new normal” of 2020 opened the eyes of many individuals to the fact that if they were to contract this virus and die, where would they spend eternity. On a side note, I can attest to the rise of this question, because my insurance agency has seen a tremendous surge in people purchasing life insurance.

God is omniscient, meaning that He is all-knowing. So we can rest assure that this DID NOT catch Him off-guard. For whatever reason why God allowed this pandemic during this time only He knows. But maybe in my small mind of thinking, it could be to allow more people to come to realization that they need to repent and accept the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, into their life. In the Bible in 2 Peter 3:9 it states, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” This is such a time for this awakening. We have been stripped of our everyday idols, our version of normalcy, and worst of all, stripped of our capability of attending church. You know God has His way of getting our attention solely back onto Him. It can be an easy way or the hard way…I guess we wanted it the hard way.

So now, I get back to the title of this message, “Are you SURE?”

Are you sure that if you were to die today, would you know where you would spend eternity? If you are not sure but would like to be able to say “Yes” then read and acknowledges these truths:

  1. You must acknowledge that you have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…Romans 3:23 We all sin and fall short of God’s glory everyday. By acknowledging that we have sin, we allow our hearts to be open to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior Who washed away all of our sins.
  2. Understand that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus…Romans 6:23 Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will have sanctification and the outcome will be eternal life.
  3. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…Romans 5:8 Our sins is what kept Jesus Christ upon that cross. He knew that the only way for us to be in right standing (righteousness) with God, we had to have our sins washed away by the Blood of Jesus Christ being shed for our sins.
  4. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast…Ephesians 2:8 There is nothing that you did or could do physically to become saved. It was your faith in God thru His grace that you obtained salvation. If were able to “work” for our salvation, then we would get all of the credit and not God.
  5. That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation…Romans 10:9. Now confess this scripture aloud and believe in your heart and you will be saved and your name will be written in the Lambs Book of Life…HALLELUJAH!!!

So now, lastly I ask you again, “Are you Sure?” If you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior just now, you can answer in confidence with a “YES”!

But before I finish this message, it would be remiss for me not to provide the next two crucial steps in your life as a new believer:

  1. Please begin studying your Bible. You can study with your church members, Bible believing family members and most importantly by yourself in your daily life. The Book of John in the New Testament is a great place to start.
  2. Praying without ceasing. Prayer is THE KEY of communication with God. Just as you feed your physical body, you must feed your spiritual body with prayer and with God’s Word EVERYDAY!

I love sharing God’s Word and pray that this message was a blessing!

Go with Christ today!

Tamela D. Bowie

NOW is “The Season”

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“To everything thereis a season, a time for every purpose under heaven”…Ecclesiastes 3:1

As I am writing this article, COVID-19 has the entire universe on lock down.  There has not been one town, city, state, nation or continent that has not felt the wrath of this pneumonia-like virus called “COVID-19”.  This new or “supposedly” new virus has struck so much fear in the human race, that almost EVERY business, home, school, and even our churches have been in what’s called, “sheltered-in-place” or if you have or were exposed to the virus, “quarantined” status.

Now as Christians, this pandemic episode should not come as of no surprise to us. We were told about such events happening in the Book of Matthew 24:7“ …and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places”.  We are all too familiar that these types of events must come to pass in order for the return of Jesus Christ to draw near.

And please do not think for one moment that this has caught God off-guard.  He is omnipotent  (has unlimited power), omniscient (all knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere at the same time).  So you are probably saying or thinking, “then why would God allow this to happen?”  I do not know why nor would I dare to inquire of God such a question, but instead see it as “the season” for an opportunity.

In 2 Peter 3:9 it states that, “God is not slack concerning His Word, as men would call slackness, but He is long-suffering towards us all, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”.  I chose to use this scripture to illustrate that it is now “the season” for an opportunity for all humans to be able to come to God and accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior.   The times are clearly conspicuous that our Lord and Savior’s appearance is drawing near to us.  Many of us before now have not made the decision to come to know and accept Jesus Christ for our salvation and with this COVID-19 pandemic, NOW is the time, the opportunity, and “the season”.

We have been stripped down to our basics, some of our freedoms have been slightly forfeited for the protection of all, and we have or will be at the mercy of our secular government for sustenance and financial stability.  God oftentimes allows distress in a season of our lives to place our attention back on Him and to recognize Who He is in our lives and how much His existence matters to us as His Children. 

We are there folks, we are in “the season” for an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We have no choice but to destroy the idols of materialism, division, racism, hatred, sexism, basically all of the ‘isms” that were running rampant  in our lives. The distractions that have been excuses are no longer valid.  We now have more family time at home because of the shelter-in-place mandates.  There are no longer 10-12 hour workshifts because our jobs have been closed down.  No more extracurricular or after-school activities because our schools have been closed down.  And ironically, no more in-person church attendance which will now force us to get into God’s Word for ourselves and draw nearer to him.  Now is “the season”…

If you were moved by this article and want to take advantage of this “the season” of opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then please turn to Romans 10:9 and repeat this scripture aloud and believe in your heart…

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, then you shall be saved”…Romans 10:9

If you read that scripture aloud and believed in your heart, then you are saved and the angels in Heaven are rejoicing and your name will be written in the Lambs Book of Life.  The second thing you must do is to find a Bible believing, Holy Spirit filled church and get into God’s Word for yourself by reading your Bible daily.

In closing, I am so excited for those who decided today to give their life to God by way of accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  You are now a new creature in Christ and should live according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  God bless you and please go with Christ today and forever more.

In Christ’s Love Always,

Tamela D. Bowie

Shout BEFORE the Walls Come Tumbling Down!

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“And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, “Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city”…Joshua 6:16

“AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN”

We all know the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho and how God instructed Joshua and the children of Israel to walk around the fortified wall of Jericho 1 time for 6 days and on the 7th day, walk around 7 times, then the trumpets blew, and they shouted…and the rest is history.

Joshua was Moses’s assistant and later his successor, who had the responsibility of leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land. But there was only one thing standing in their path to the Promised Land…the Jericho wall. Joshua who was also a military field commander could have easily made the decision to take down the walls of Jericho with the strength of an army and weaponry, but outside of being a military man, he was also a spiritual giant. Joshua knew the promises that were made by God and His covenant with the children of Israel were not meant to be taken lightly and was to be held in strict obedience.

In the book of Joshua, we see a man of faith doing exactly what God has instructed and thus a generation of people becoming a beneficiary of a promise through a covenant, but what we don’t realize is how the biblical story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho leaves a blueprint for us on how to deal with the Jericho Walls in our modern day lives.

Let’s first define what is a Jericho Wall. A Jericho wall is a fortified wall that is standing in the way of you getting to God’s promises in your life. Just as the children of Israel was promised by God to enter in and possess a land flowing of milk and honey, they first had to knock down the walls of Jericho that were standing in the way to the promise. God’s Word is full of promises for us as well but we too sometimes have to knock down a Jericho Wall in order to enter into His promises.

There can many types of Jericho walls at different seasons during your life. Here are a few examples of some Jericho walls:

Marriage Issues
Family Issues
Financial Problems
Health Issues
Job Issues
Relationship Issues
Spiritual Issues

So now that you are familiar with a few examples of Jericho walls, here are 4 ways to knock down those Jericho walls…Joshua style!

LOOK UP: In Joshua 5:13 we read that …”when Joshua was by Jericho that he lifted up his eyes and looked. So the first thing we must do when facing our Jericho wall is to LOOK UP to God. We should recognize Who is in power and control. We must go to GOD first for help, guidance, and direction. Psalm 121 is the perfect scripture on what we must do when we are in need of help…Psalm 121…(1) “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help…(2) my help cometh from the LORD…”

FALL ON OUR FACES: God is so Holy and sovereign that whenever we find ourselves in His presence we automatically fall to our faces in Holy worship and reverence. Joshua did the same in verse Joshua 5:14…”And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and, did worship, and said unto Him, What saith my Lord unto His servant”… We should do the same when we come to Him in worship seeking God’s will be done in a situation. We should not attempt to tell God how we think the matter should be resolved or handled. We should submit ourselves and our will in the situation and allow God to do what He does best for us. We should also place ourselves in a position so that we can be used by God throughout the situation.

TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES: One may find it odd, that God would have required Joshua to remove his shoes for in preparation of a battle. That is because the majority of the time, we are putting on our gear to go into battle but whenever you get God involved He wants us to take a backseat, rest, and watch Him do all the work. We see in Joshua 5:15, it reads” Loose thy shoe from off the foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy…” God’s presence is so Holy that is should be respected and revered at all times but also that He is so Holy that He wants us to rest in our situation so that He can give us clear directions and guidance. The only way to do that is to kick off our shoes and relax in God’s Holiness.

MARCH AND SHOUT: Perseverance and faith! Keep doing what God has called you to do no matter how long the wait…DON’T GIVE UP! Can you imagine if Joshua and the children of Israel had given up on day 5. Or what if they had decided to sing instead of doing a shout. They would not had prevailed and thus lost out on what God had promised them…entering into the Promised Land. And last but not least, shout BEFORE that Jericho wall comes down…not afterwards. Shouting (or thanking God in advance) before you see your victory shows your faith in knowing that the battle has already been fought and won, and the victory is yours…” Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evident of things not seen”…Hebrews 11:1

 

Jericho walls do not have to be standing in your path to enjoying God’s promises for your life. The Jericho wall of Joshua times came tumbling down and so can yours. If you believe that God stands by His Word and His promises are “yes” and “amen”, you too can knock down every Jericho wall that is in your way!

The next time you find yourself in a difficult situation or see a Jericho wall in your life, please do as Joshua did and then watch those walls…”come a tumbling down”! PRAISE THE LORD!

 

Thanks for stopping by and go with Christ today!

Blessings,

Tamela

 

 

Taking On A Greater Cause Than Yourself

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Photo Courtesy from Funkyjunkinteriors.net

 

Taking on a Cause Greater Than Yourself!
When we step outside of our selfish boxes we can better get a grasp on the realities of life. We are able to see clearly the needs of those around us and how we can affect a change in the lives of others. There is always going to be a cause that needs someone to champion or take the reigns. No one is an island of and to his own and we all need someone to anchor us.

Jesus did exactly that for us when He died on the cross for everyone and our sins. He knew that there was a greater cause at stake…saving us from our sins, redeeming us back into a righteous relationship with God, removing the sting of death, and giving us the opportunity to spend eternity with God. Jesus was and is the Champion of the greatest cause because it gave us freedom!…Jesus Christ is the perfect example of what happens when we take on a cause that is greater than yourself…Hallelujah!

Not only did He champion a great cause but He also commanded that we champion a great cause by going out and sharing the Good News about Him…Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit..20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

So you see when we champion or take on a cause greater than ourselves, a few things will happen:

1.  We will be able to serve others and meet their needs. Helping others bring joy into our lives because we are stepping outside of our own selfish needs which takes away the focus off of us and onto making someone else happy. Jesus, whose Feet was worthy of being washed by all, washed the feet of His disciples to show humility and servant leadership.

2.   We will be able to effect or make a change. Change only comes by way of action. Praying, planning and prepping (the three P’s) are the ways challenges are met and changes are made. There has never been an instance when a successful event or venue did not include proper preparation. Even Jesus Christ knew that He had to go through each planning process that would eventually lead Him to the cross in order to make a change.
3.  We will be able to see the fruits of our labor. If you have great belief in a cause you will work tirelessly to see it come into fruition. We have all heard and seen people working sun up to sun down campaigning for their candidate. We witnessed blacks and whites marching, getting arrested, and even killed for wanting the equal rights for blacks in the 1960’s. And as always, Jesus is the perfect example because He spent the last three years of His earthly presence teaching and ministering so that He could see the fruits of His labor of Love for us on the cross.
So now we see the importance of taking on a cause greater than yourself. It has more to do with others than it has to do with you. Let’s be thankful that we were commissioned by Jesus to continue the greater cause of leading others to Him and to salvation…There is no greater cause than that!

 

Sharing in God’s Love

Tamela

Hallways of Preparation: Waiting on God

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Being an interior designer, we view hallways as areas in homes where your eyes are able to get a “respite” before taking in the decor of another space in the home.  Not too much design attention is given to hallways because these are areas that do not receive much of the homeowner’s interaction or time. Hallways are basically meant to be used as a means of functional transition or preparation for what’s to come in other spaces in the home.

I am able to relate this message to what I do as an interior designer because as hallways serve as a functional purpose for our homes, they are also spiritually functional in our lives.

As human beings, we will always find ourselves one time or another in the “hallway of preparation”.  The hallway of preparation is a place in a person’s life when God has closed one door but He has not immediately opened another door at the same moment.  We are basically waiting in the “hallway” until He decides to open another door of our life.

If our lives consisted of no hallway preparation moments, we would continually be on a transitional mission, always coming and going with rest, reflection, and proper preparation.  We need those hallway moments to get refueled, recharged, and sometimes redirected by God especially when we have steered off His path for our lives…“A man’s heart devise his way: but the LORD directs his steps”…Proverbs 16:9

Because we are a nation of people who are always wanting our way all the time, used to things being fast-pace, quick, and always looking for the next fast opportunity, those hallway moments can sometimes feel like punishment.  We can sometime feel that God is not listening, or He has not heard our prayers, or that our lives are on a path leading to nowhere.   These things are not the case.   We have to realize that there is power and purpose in those hallway moments just as there is power in closed and open doors.  The hallway provides a chance for us to breathe and get ready for what God has in-store next  for us.

 

Here are four things to do while waiting in the “hallway of preparation”:

  •  Accept that you are in the hallway.  Calm down, rest, and be content.  Just know that God is working on your behalf to get you prepared for the next level or season in your life.
  • Continue to work on yourself spiritually.  Get deeply immersed into God’s Word because this is the time when the enemy will try to test your faith and your obedience to God.  You will need to know God’s Word and His promises so that you can defeat the lies of the enemy as you wait on GodAllow this time to deepen your relationship and walk with God.
  •  Do not try to look for another way out.  This is not the time to put into action the old saying…”when the going gets tough, the tough gets going”.   God is at His best when we are at our weakest moments or when things look somewhat unsure or uncomfortable.   It is easy to open a pre-mature door or seek an alternative path, but we do not want to miss out on what God has planned ahead for us…just stay put in the hallway!
  •  Be faithful, obedient, and be PREPARED!  We have to remain faithful to know that God is behind the scenes creating the perfect opportunity, creating a favorable atmosphere, changing hearts and getting everything perfectly prepared BEFORE He opens the next door.  That is The God that we serve, He only wants the best for His children…“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”…James 1:17

Hopefully this message has shown the importance of “hallway preparations” in our lives and what to do when we find ourselves standing in the hallway waiting on God.  When you find yourself in your moment of a “hallway of preparation” be mindful that God is up to something great and this is your opportunity of respite before your next promotion in your life.

Sharing in God’s Love,

Tamela

 

 

Obedience…Our Gift to God

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obedience to God

Obedience…that is a word that you seldom hear being used anymore to describe an interactive relationship between people.  We live in a society where it is “man for himself”, “I can do anything that I want”, or “I don’t have to answer to anyone”.  There is no accountability when it comes to our thoughts, actions or simply the way that we live our lives today.

Obviously, God did not make us to be or to live like robots, hence, He gave us free will, however, His desire for us is to live in obedience to Him and His Word.  Obedience as defined by some people can mean an action to a set of rules. However, God’s desire for our obedience is the obedience of our hearts to Him.  The reason why God desires our obedience is threefold:

  1. He knows what is best for us
  2. He wants us to experience all that He has for us
  3. He wants to bless us

In addition, our obedience helps to build a stronger relationship with Christ.  As we grow closer to Christ, our hearts desire will be to become more like Christ and to do things which please Him that will in return strengthen our relationship with God.

Here are three reasons for our obedience to God:

  1. It shows our faith…When we are obedient to God it shows that we have total faith in what He has done, is doing and will be doing in our lives.
  2. It shows our love for Christ…in John 14:21 it reads, “He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him”.  Our obedience is a true test of our love for Christ
  3. It shows that God is important… Our obedience can also serve as a witness for God and the Gospel.   Our obedience can show that God is worthy, valuable, trustworthy, good, wise and very important to our lives.  Obedience can actually win over those to Christ who are simply observing the obedience of the saved.  “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven…Matthew 5:16

 

God does not desire our obedience simply because He can or it’s the “in” thing to do.  God desires our obedience because that is the way He communicates with us, develops and strengthens our relationship with Him and it is how he chooses to bless us. We must remember that our obedience is our love language and gift to God.   In addition, it is thru the obedience of Christ to the cross that we are now right-standing with God with the hope of eternal life.

Sharing in God’s Love,

Tamela

Renew Your Mind…and the rest will follow!

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“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God renew”…Romans 12:2

There is a reason why God wants us to renew our mind every day.  We live in a world that can easily influence the way we live, treat others, and shape our way of thinking.  Worldly thinking (carnal minded) is not always the right way of thinking and the majority of the time it is highly influenced by the enemy. In addition, it is this type of thinking that keeps us in bondage to the enemy.  The enemy knows that if he can get our mind to think the way he thinks and take on a worldly view, that it will draw us away from God’s Word and His desire for us to have a Christ-like mind.

It is through our mind and thought process that allows us to understand and grasp the truthfulness that is in God’s Word.  It is this truthfulness in God’s Word that shapes and influences our lives.  God’s Word influences how we treat others, make decisions, and how we choose to live our lives.  If our mind is filled with the wrong ideas, sinful thoughts or worldly views, it becomes difficult for us to comprehend God’s Word; thus making it even more difficult for God’s Word to have an effect in our lives.

The renewing of our mind is not just a one-time event, it is an on-going task that must be done every day of our lives.  We have to renew our mind so that it will line up with the Word of God.

Here are three ways to renew your mind:

  1. Pray:  Every morning I pray this prayer…”Lord, please renew the right mind and renew the right spirit within me.  Then I also pray Romans 12:2.
  2. Read God’s Word:  Reading God’s Word on a daily basis is like taking a vitamin.  We can compare it being a supplement for our mind.  It gives us everything that we need to live a strong and healthy spiritual life.
  3. Fasting:  Fasting can help to cleanse our mind so that we can hear more clearly from God.

 

Mind renewal is the key to successful living as a Christian.  It is God’s desire for us to become more Christ-like, so when we yield to having a mind of Christ, we are able to do the will of God for our lives.

 

Sharing in God’s Love,

 

Tamela

Learning to Be Content in These Times

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“…for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content”…Philippians 4:11

Many times in life, we find ourselves at some level of discontentment.  It can be discontentment in our jobs or careers, in certain situations, and even within ourselves.  It is normal to experience some form of discontentment, because it is sometimes the discontent that can give a person the drive to do or perform better.  Discontentment only becomes a problem when it is left unchecked and allowed to manifest itself into other forms of conflict in our lives.

Here are three areas of conflict of unchecked discontentment:

1.  Impatience:  causes us to move ahead of God and abort the plan God has for our lives

2.  Jealousy:  causes us to become angry, unfocused on our lives, and become revengeful

3.  Greed:  causes us to never be satisfied, develop dishonest traits, and become selfish

Now we see how discontentment can breed other areas of conflict in our lives and rob us of our enjoyment of God’s blessings.  But all is not lost, here are four ways to learn how to be content in our lives:

1.  Get Understanding:   a person should understand the difference between a need and a want.  God provides all our needs (Philippians 4:19), and it is His desire to give us our wants as long as they are in line with His Will and purpose.  Now I must add that God is not going to always fulfull all of our wants and desires because then we would run the risk of believing that we no longer need Him (Proverbs 30:7-9).

2.  Practice Acceptance:  A person should strive to be content and accept who they are, were they are in life, and the things they have been blessed with.  Paul is a perfect example of contentment because even as he sat in prison, he was still content in his present condition.  Paul was content because he know who he was in Christ and Who he belonged to.  Paul relied upon the strength of God and the joy of the The Lord (Philippians 4:10-13).

3.  Be Generous:  When a person finds the opportunity to give to others, it helps with our contentment.  A person does not have to have an abundance of material things to give, just simply the giving of our time can lead to contentment.  Generosity can help to relieve stress (because a person is releasing and letting go) and it can help to bring out the joy that comes with giving.

4.  Most importantly…Trust in The Lord:   A person finds complete contentment when we give it all to Jesus!  God is ALL that we need in life.  God is our helper…not money, He is our provider…not an employer and He is our sustainer.  He will daily give us everything that we need to be content and live a full life (Psalm 68:19).  A person can also rest assure that He has THE BEST PLAN for our lives and is always working on it behind the scenes (Philippians 1:6).

Always remember this…”contentment is a state of mind.  True contentment is only found when our hearts and minds are always centered on Jesus Christ and His goodness”.

 

Sharing in God’s Love,

Tamela

 

 

 

 

 

Practice What You Preach!

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How many times have you had someone to say to you…”you need to practice what you preach” or you have said that to someone else?  At least for me, I have had to remind myself along with a couple of other people on several occasions.

Now let’s look at the word hypocrite as it relates to “practice what you preach”.  A hypocrite as defined in Webster’s dictionary is a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs.  In the Bible, Jesus denounces the scribes and the Pharisees for behaving in this manner of hypocrisy in Matthew 23:3, “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” Now, I am sure that we all know someone who is like that, or we may have found ourselves sometimes behaving in such a manner.

As followers of Christ, we should always practice what we preach or at least behave in a manner that is consistent with or reflective of God’s Word.  Reason being is that it shows the integrity of our faith and it provides a reflection of the light of Christ in our lives.  According to Matthew 5:14, it states…”Ye are the light of the world…” and in Matthew 5:16…”Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”.   We should always want people to be attracted to the light of Christ that is within us by the way we live and the words that we speak and share.

In addition, as followers of Christ, we are always being carefully watched by the non-believers and the unsaved. The Word and the scriptures that we share with others should also be reflective in our lifestyle and everyday living.  We should be the same when we are at work, home, school and believe it or not, when we are on social media sites.   We must be different from the world so that it will be encouraging for the unsaved and unbelievers to want to get to know and love the Christ that we know and love.

Here are three ways on how to practice what you preach:

  1. Watch the words or comments that you say or speak.  Are your responses any different from those who do not know Christ?
  2. Your reactions should be Christ-like in every circumstance and situation
  3.  Our lifestyle should be the same in public and out of the public’s eye

If we are not practicing what we preach, how can we expect to be effective in sharing God’s Word with others?  It is hard to persuade the unsaved and the non-believers the need for salvation, if they see the hypocrisy in us as believers.

Now ask yourself this question…”Are you practicing what you preach?”

Sharing God’s Word in Love,

Tamela