On Fools - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) April 28, 2023

What comes to mind when you think of the word 'fool'? Many of us think of fools as silly, harmless people. We may even jokingly call a funny person "a fool", not as an insult, but just as a form of normal conversation.

But did you know God sees fools differently? To Him, a fool is a dangerous and evil person. Here's what the Bible says about such characters in Isaiah 32:6 - For fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the LORD. They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty.

Look at the highlighted text. Does such a person seem harmless? These are the sort of people believers are to stay far away from. Remember what we recently learned about Psalm 1? Those who neither spend time with the wicked nor behave like them will be blessed with prosperity. In addition, Proverbs 22:3 teaches that The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. A foolish person is thus the very danger you must avoid so as not to experience negative consequences.

More important than keeping fools at bay is that believers must not display or harbor Biblically foolish tendencies. Ask yourself, do you speak worthless words? If you're not sure what those are, imagine the things you say online, hidden behind your internet persona. Would your pastor approve? Your grandma? What about God?

Are you someone who makes evil plans to harm or hurt others? Even if that wasn't the original intention. Do you do things God calls ungodly such as adultery, fornication, occult practices, gossip, lying etc? And, do you speak falsely about God thereby spreading false teachings about Him? Can you see the hungry without your heartstrings being tugged? Can you walk by the hungry and thirsty without looking for something to give them? Certainly, there could be times when you're not in a position to be of assistance but when you are always unwilling to help? If any of these are things we currently do, we must decide to change and take steps to keep turning away from what displeases the Lord. In so doing, we will not be among the foolish.

This is just to remind us all that as we wait on the Lord to make the difference in our lives, let us see our waiting period as the time to allow God to change us for the better. Let's wean ourselves from the foolish things we did and grow from spiritual babies to those who consume something other than spiritual milk (1 Peter 2:2). It is not easy, but the Lord has promised to help. He will make us aware of the little changes we can make every day. God wants to give us His best. He knows all our struggles and He knows how we can overcome them. We just have to rely on Him as He helps us avoid the ways of the foolish and instead live a more righteous lifestyle.

The benefits far outweigh the negatives. Plus, the Lord wants to build us up to be the vessels He uses here on earth for great things in His name. May we all move closer to Him as we choose to let go of the foolish things we did, and start doing more of what will please Him on our journey to receive the fullness of life He's promised, IJMN, Amen.

See you at Noon EST for fellowship. God bless you!

Miracle Alley: Baby Sophia died but came back to life!

I just saw a story about a young girl who drowned in her family's jacuzzi. She was under water for at least 10 minutes.

Rushed to the hospital, she was declared dead.

Somehow, 18 minutes later, her heart started beating again! A miracle!

Her parents attribute this to God and I agree!

God can do anything. If He could bring this little girl back to life, what can't He do? We tend to forget that God is still doing big things in this day and age. Many of us think the dead can't come back to life without some spooky spell out of your a fantasy show or movie.

God is still in the business of resurrecting the dead. Just as He did for Lazarus, Jairus's daughter, the only son of the widow who was in a coffin, the Shunamite woman's son.

The Lord will resurrect every dead thing in your life. Just give it over to Him.

God bless you!

To read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/god-you-can-do-anything-lodi-baby-declared-dead-has-miraculous-recovery/

Pay your 'taxes' - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) April 25, 2023

In America, many of us recently took stock of our tax responsibilities as the Internal Revenue Service's filing deadline was on April 17, 2023.

Why do we pay Uncle Sam his taxes? Well, for one thing, our taxes go into a pot from which funds are drawn to pay for everything from potholes to national defense. Our taxes help pay for our public schools, community parks, and much more.

Many of us faithfully pay our tax obligations because we also believe that someday we'll have access to a 'safety net' in the form of reduced health care costs and other benefits. Unfortunately, politicians are making it known that a certain generation of citizens will not enjoy any of the social security benefits received by the elderly and retired of years past.

And yet, we continue paying taxes into the systems of the world with a faith that we will benefit from it in someway. And this is scriptural for even Jesus said to give unto Caesar what is Caesar's (Mark 12:17). And He even paid his own taxes (Matthew 17:27).

Dear Christian brother and sister, are you paying your 'taxes' into the Kingdom of God? Are you investing into the things of God so you can draw your benefits now and in the future? Do you consistently give God His tithes and offerings, provide alms to the poor, praise the Lord, fast, pray as well as intercede for others? Are you giving of your time to spread the gospel? Are you teaching your children the word of God and investing in learning it yourself?

All of these are ways to deposit into God's 'safety net' - a treasure trove of goodness for you here on earth. These 'contributions' also help secure your ticket to and your residence in heaven. Unlike the world's systems, this safety net will never run out of resources and is available for you to tap into right now, not just years down the line. Further, there's no shifting of the proverbial goal post as has happened in France and elsewhere, where workers are being told they need to work for even more years if they ever hope to tap into their retirement benefits.

Pay your 'taxes', people, and you can tap into the blessings and benefits that come from God's kingdom at any time. Make this a priority. Psalm 32:10 - Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.

God bless you!