How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #9}

"Blessed are you when people insult you,persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Matthew 5:11,12

Blessing #9: a great reward in heaven.

To Release This Blessing:  The prophets took action; they spoke, they demonstrated, dreamed all with the power of God moving through them.  I believe this is the type of "because of me" acts that Jesus is referring to that brings persecution.  If we want to release this blessing, then we must do as they did.  Allow Jesus to live through you.

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These 9 Blessings are not easy to release or live out, but they are rewarding. Which of the 9 Blessings are you going to go after first?

 This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.   

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #8}

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"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:10

Blessing #8: the kingdom of heaven belongs to us.

To Release This Blessing:  I personally didn't really like this blessing at first, it doesn't sound like much of a blessing....I mean, persecution, who wants that?  But it is NOT a blessing to be persecuted because of our right and moral living, but the blessing is the kingdom of heaven. When we stand up for righteousness (right and moral living), persecution is a byproduct of that lifestyle.  Release this blessing in your life by living a life of righteousness.

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In deciding to follow Jesus, we are made righteous by his sacrifice for our sin on the cross.  When we display righteousness, persecution will follow.  -It just comes with the territory as heirs to the kingdom of heaven as a child of the King. 

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here. 

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #7}

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"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

Matthew 5:9

Blessing #7: we will be called a son (or daughter) of God.

To Release This Blessing:  If you are a follower of Jesus, then you are already a son or a daughter of God.  If you are a son or a daughter of God then you are a peacemaker.  Peace is in you, it is part of the DNA of the family and body of Christ placed in you through relationship with Jesus.  Choose to tap into the ability to release peace.

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You have the ablility to release peace in every situation because the God of peace is living in you.  

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here. 

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #6}

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"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God"

Matthew 5:8

Blessing #6: we will see God.

To Release This Blessing:  If you have made a decision to follow Jesus, surrendering your life to him, then all of the impure things in your life was reckoned at the cross. So when God looks at us, he sees a pure heart.  Everything that we repent for has been forgotten by God -and when I say forgotten, it is an on purpose kind of forgotten.  Release this blessing by repentance and embracing the truth that you are forgiven.

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Jesus has taken ALL of our impurities and washed away our blemishes and has made them white as snow.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here. 

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #5}

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"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy"

Matthew 5:7

Blessing #5: we will be shown mercy.

To Release This Blessing:  Show mercy towards others and in return you will receive mercy.  The definition of mercy is to show compassion or forgiveness towards someone when it is within your power to punish or harm.

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Since Jesus Christ lives in you, as a follower of Jesus, you have the capability of showing mercy (compassion and forgiveness) as needed.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #4}

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"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6

Blessing #4: we will be filled with righteousness.

To Release This Blessing:   First we need to acknowledge our need for righteousness in our life.  Righteousness means right and moral living.  Now go beyond acknowledging and move into seeking. 

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When you are hungry then you will discover what it is to be filled.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #3}

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"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
Matthew 5:5

Blessing #3: we will inherit the earth.

To Release This Blessing:   First we need to understand what it means to be meek.  Meek means a gentleness of spirit.  This translates as a dependency on Jesus verses asserting our own ways above God’s ways.

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This one of the blessings given to Abraham in Genesis and now belongs as a blessing for every follower of Jesus.  To inherit the earth is to embrace meekness resulting in authority and dominion over it.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #2}

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"Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted."
Matthew 5:4

Blessing #2: we will be comforted in mourning

To Release This Blessing:   It begins with salvation.  Then invite the Holy Spirit to fill you with his presence. Holy Spirit is also known as The Comforter and he will comfort you in every situation.  If you are in a time of mourning, ask him to release comfort over you now.

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When we are in relationship with Jesus, the presence of the Holy Spirit is one of the indicators that you are in relationship with him.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #1}

Have you ever been casually reading the bible and come across the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5?  What in the world is a beatitude? - I don't think I've ever used that word my whole life!  

Beatitude:  Supreme Blessedness; Sainthood; Saintliness

Ok...I don't use any of those words daily either, but after reading in Matthew chapter 5: 1-11 the word that I can most easily connect with is Supreme Blessedness. The scripture starts off by saying that Jesus sat down and began to teach the disciples the following beatitudes or rather the supreme blessedness. (Can we just shorten this word of supreme blessedness to blessings?) So, from now on I will refer to each beatitude as a "blessing".

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"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 5:3

Blessing #1: the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.  

To Release This Blessing:  Poor in spirit means to acknowledge your need for spiritual transformation; it begins with salvation.  Decide to follow Jesus with your whole heart.  It's not easy for us to surrender our own way of thinking, and our own way of living to follow the path that Jesus has for us.  

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When you surrender your life to Jesus, you become a part of the kingdom of Heaven subsequently opening the door for the blessings of Heaven to pour out onto your life.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

Speaking Social Media

This is for all the writers aspiring or otherwise and the public speakers everywhere.

Every time we log onto our social media and post we are engaging in the art of public speaking.  Whether it’s a simple “like” or a lengthy thought it’s all part of the language of social media.  We are constantly speaking volumes publicly whether we consciously know it or not.

About ten years ago I began writing my first book Path of the Blessing: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.  Then with the encouragement from a friend of mine who is an editor I began blogging. 

Those early beginning stages of writing were so scary. 

When a woman first finds out that she’s pregnant and she’ll be delivering in nine months those first few weeks are full of excitement, anticipation, fear, and unknown.  That’s exactly how I felt at the beginning when writing. 

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Most of all I’ve wondered if anyone will be listening.  HELLO? Is anyone there?

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As the years have gone on and my baby has been born onto Amazon.com I’ve been finding ways to share my baby with the public.  Blogger, a Facebook Page, and now more recently Twitter and Instagram have been new ways to display and talk about my baby.

I know I can’t be the only one feeling this way, and you know what?  I’m not.  Jeremiah felt the SAME way!

In Jeremiah chapter 1 verses 5 through 9 God calls to Jeremiah.  He told Jeremiah that he had a plan for his life and that plan included public speaking. 

Jeremiah’s response was one that I can relate to:

“I do not know how to speak; I am too young”

Jeremiah is feeling all those feelings of excitement, anticipation, fear, and unknown.   Then the Lord says to Jeremiah not to be afraid because he will rescue him and give him the words to say.

AHH! So there it is…One of the pertinent KEYS to speaking social media.

Invite God into our words before we write, “like”, and post and he will give us the words to say; speaking social media.

Follow me at the LINKS above right for daily inspiration and encouragement or right here on my blog.  

God's Valentine Invitation

In Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus talks about what the kingdom of heaven is like. 

He compares it to a wedding banquet, or a wedding reception. 

I like to think of it as a Valentines Party. 

Here’s my more modern rendition:

The King is having THE party to end all parties to celebrate his Son and his True Love.  He invited a group of people, but they refused the invitation.  The King then told the servants to open the invitation up to EVERYONE.  He told his servants to go out and stand on the street corners, telling everyone about this fabulous party and that they are ALL invited.

Every single person was invited this time, not just a select group.

They found all the people both good and bad and invited them to come into the Grand Hall to wait for the party to start. Just as the King came in to the hall, he noticed a man there who wasn’t wearing the proper party attire.  The King called out to the man, “Friend, how did you get in here without being dressed properly for the party?”

The man was speechless.

He was totally caught off guard.

He thought he was dressed properly, he thought he was prepared for the party just like all the other invitees.  The King then told the attendants to kick the man out of the party outside of the palace walls while everyone else went in to celebrate the love between the King’s Son and his True Love.

The party that everyone is talking about in this parable is a reality.

It’s God’s Valentine Invitation to the whole world.   The King is God the Father.  The Son is Jesus Christ.  His True Love is his church; believers in Jesus as well as the attendees.  Those who choose to reject his invitation of Love will not be clothed in the proper

attire and will miss out on the celebration.

Everyone is invited!

John 3:16 is one of the most popular verses to show God’s love for us.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son.  That whoever believes in him will have everlasting life.”

In Galatians 3:27 it shows us how to be ready with the proper party attire, “for all of you who were baptized into Christ, have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

How will you respond?

Intentional Acts of Kindness

Earlier today I posted a quote on my Facebook page about 

kindness.  {See link in upper right hand corner}

Then after thinking about that word for quite a while, I 

remembered that just over a month ago, I had received a gift.

That gift was a Christmas ornament with the word 

kindness written on it. 

I think God is trying to tell me something….maybe…just maybe...

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I thought I had that word conquered.  I actually would think to myself, “Hey, that one’s easy. Why would God want me to focus on being kind when I’m so good at it?”

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So now, I’m writing this with a new perspective on humility. 

I’ve realized that I need to be more kind. 

Not just more kind.

Not just random acts of kindness, no, that’s easy.

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I need to have intentional acts of kindness.

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It’s easy to be randomly kind to a stranger, holding the door for them.  Giving a smile.  Maybe even lending them change at the store register.

It’s much harder to think of ways to be kind in advance to people whom you interact with on a regular basis.

Your spouse, your children, your parents, your in-laws, your co-workers, your staff, your neighbors.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 

forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

gentleness and self-control. Against such 

things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

-Whew! Good thing God is asking me to focus right now on only ONE part of that fruit!  I think I have a lot of work ahead of me!

What area is God asking you to focus on?  Be intentional about it and see what happens! 

A Demonstration of Deliverance

When Jesus entered the temple courts in Matthew 21:12,13 he drove out all who were buying and selling and he flipped a bunch of tables.

Not only did Jesus get physical, he made a statement which was a harsh rebuke. 

“It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Once Jesus died for our sins and redeemed us, paying the ultimate sacrifice, we no longer as a society need to sacrifice at a temple.  

Our bodies are the temple of God (2 Corinthians 6:16) and host the Presence of the Lord.

So what does this mean for us today?

Jesus drove out all the merchants who were taking advantage of the people who needed a last-minute sacrifice; over-pricing their goods.  

They were doing whatever it took to make a profit.  

They were thieves.

The temple had become a home for thieves to come and live and hide.

What is the enemy, the thief, stealing and hiding from your temple?  

Has he made a home there as well?

Jesus says that this house, the temple, is to be called a house of prayer. 

This is simply communication with God.

We need to ask Jesus to cleanse our temple by kicking out the den of robbers so that we may become solely a house of prayer.

Ask Jesus to reveal to you those things that should not remain in your temple.

First repent for those things having a place in your life.

Then get mad and tell those things to leave you and not return in Jesus name.

Jesus delivers and sets us free!

Of Gods & Leaders

 

Have you noticed that people tend to make gods out of leaders?

Hollywood, Government, Pastors and anyone else are prime contestants for being idolized and worshipped. 

We tend to hang on their every word and actions.

We think that the rulers we choose to admire and admonish will give us greater success in life than if we choose to worship and follow God’s ways alone.

We've become dependant on these leaders for our happiness, peace, comfort, and stability.

This has been happening since biblical times going back to the book of Samuel.

Whenever we choose to appoint another leader over our lives instead of Jesus it demonstrates our lack of truly knowing who he really is. 

God is a good God. He loves us. He wants the best for our lives. 

He gently leads us. 

He guides us into all truth.

Earthly leaders will always leave us lacking. 

Only God can satisfy. 

One life changed by Jesus; one by one will change our world.

7 Ways to be Consistent

1.      Determination. Set your mind on the fact that you will do this activity no matter what tries to get in your way.

 All this I tested by wisdom and I said,

“I am determined to be wise”... Ecclesiastes 7:23 

2.      Write it down.  Make a list of what you want to accomplish and how often you want to accomplish it.

But the noble make noble plans, and by noble 

deeds they stand.  Isaiah 32:8

3.      Verbalize it.  Speak out positive words to yourself about how you can and will achieve your goals.

So shall my word be that goes out from my 

mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it 

shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall 

succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 

55:11

4.      Do it! When you wake up in the morning start to take action on your goals. Don’t wait for time to slip away.

We do not want you to become lazy, but to 

imitate those who through faith and patience 

inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12

5.      Talk about it. Tell others about your goals and surround yourself with people who want you to succeed.

Therefore encourage one another and build each 

other up, just as in fact you are doing. 

1Thessalonians 5:11

6.      Pray. Daily pray over yourself and the tasks that you are trying to accomplish. Invite God to walk with you down this path.

 Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in 

all circumstances;for this is God’s will for you in 

Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

7.      Be prepared. Get your mind, your will and your emotions ready to do it all over again the next day.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds 

set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in 

accordance with the Spirit have their minds set 

on what the Spirit desires.  Romans 8:5