Seasons Of Life:

 Spiritual Vitamin (.. Soul Food 4 Thought)

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Spread the word and give thanks to the Lord for He is good! It’s not WHAT you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts… Think about that. !!! People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, or to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually. They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are. They are there for a reason, you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die, Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on. When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall, the season eventually ends. LIFETIME, relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway);, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. Thank you for being part of my life…..

Motivational Vitamin

BE THANKFUL:

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what

would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary, because it means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

May God Bless you all .. I’m blessed to have such quality love ones in my life!!

VITA QUOTES

“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is and the future less resolved tban it will be.“

“Make sure you visualize what you really want not what someone else wants for you.“

“I want use where I‘ve been to justify where I am . I will use where I am to jumpstart where I am going.“ Right now is the only guaranteed moment in my life and I will make the best of it.“

Vita Vocab

Parsimonious = characterized by being frugal or stingy;

Impetus = A moving force; or momentum of going forward; impulse;

Ruminate = To meditate on ,muse or ponder a thought;

What’s Your Claim To Fame?

The Spiritual Vitamin ..Soul Food 4 Thought

 “CLAIM TO FAME“ as in my personal claim to fame was becoming an elite professional athlete. It’s nothing more than another way of drawing attention to self or describing what in your life sets you apart from others,; makes you unique or special, I suppose. another manner of tooting your horn!!  In the phrase mocked by many as  “your five minutes of fame..“ I suggest you enjoy it and let it go at some point because in reality it was only a path or pit stop along your journey. You final claim to fame should be and will be judge by the most high when all is said and done. The bible says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be required“.

I shift my focus
to sports as the regular season in football ends for many in either ”the thrill of victory” or “the agony of defeat”! For some teams the season goes on into the playoffs and some to the all-star games for their excellence play. Then there are those who go home and watch with many suffering season ending setback, injuries and disappointments. Perhaps many will be in one category or the other.

The scriptures Luke and 1Cor. have something to say to growing Christians who are at either end of this success or on the not so successful end of the spectrum. Nevertheless, the scripture should be humbling to those Christian athletes who think they are so great for such success and all their achievements. On the other hand, the same scriptures can bring hope to those who believe they caught the short end of the stick. I will mostly concentrate on these scriptures as an exhortation to Christians who are thinking too much of themselves and their accomplishments. First, we‘ll focus on how these scriptures can encourage the not so fortunate Christian who saw it all fall apart right before their eyes.

In light of the truth contained in 1 Corinthians 4:7 and Luke 12:48, it should be comforting and inspiriting to realize that God does not require anything from us that He has not given us. God is not like the extortionate parent who expects more from kids than what they have been blessed with. Conversely, God is more of a reasonable and understanding parent who expects the children to “do their best with what they have”. God has made us what we are and has autonomously given us or not given us certain abilities and capacities. He knows us completely and does not blame nor hold us accountable for endowments which we wasn’t blessed. “He knows us and remembers that we are nothing more than dust” God’s judgment is simply on the basis of what we have, not what we lack.” Accepting ourselves for what God made us to be, recognizing our limitations, and knowing we are not judged should be tremendous encouragement for any Christian. It should bring hope especially to those who are often discouraged because they never seem to quite measure up intellectually, athletically, or in general. None the less, it does not justify excuses for laziness, quitting, or shirking responsibility. God expects us to develop what he has given us, as well as charge to us more responsibilities upon improving and increasing our capabilities and capacities. Remember, there is no ”little people” in God’s family. Every member is important for the proper functioning of the Body of Christ.

At the other end of the spectrum we have the Christian athlete with the self- inflated ego. This individual is very capable and successful. Awards, honors, and accolades are a way of life for him/her. This person somehow thinks that his/her achievements and accomplishments are entirely because of their own efforts. It doesn’t stop there. Christian athletes in this category tend to look down on, minimize, or diminish others who are not as talented and gifted as themselves. Well, the scriptures definitely have something to address this individual, even more so than one expects. Have you ever made a comment about someone who is a bit slow at conversing or one who is very awkward in sports related activity?

So I ask? “What do you have that you did not receive as a blessing from God?” It can be applied in so many ways because everything we have came as a result of God’s blessings. If it’s good looks, from God!! If it’s athletic talent, from God!! If it’s academic prowess, from God!!! Natural charisma, ability to preach, spiritual gifts of teaching, whatever it may be; when we really think about it everything we have as individuals was given to us by God. The talent, the career in sports, even the honors and awards came by way of your talents and ability thru God. Therefore, all the glory goes to the Lord. So, the fact is if you received it from God, why boast as if you created all this greatness yourself?” Realistically speaking, you don’t come close to those super powers. How ridiculous to boast about your greatness when it was given to you. God could have just as easily given the talents and brains to someone else since he is the one who “makes us all unique and different from anyone else”. How puerile for anyone, athletes included, to ego trip about their feats and victories. Their strength, coordination, skills, and even their ability to train have all been given to them. How wrong it is for any Christians who have been blessed with more to denigrate those with less, in whatever area of life. The Lord could certainly have programmed it differently.

Luke and 1Corinthians both declares, while we are not to become boastful for what we have received, we are to be responsible for what we have received. The more we have been given, the more we are expected to use for the glory of God. We are not at fault if we do not use what we do not have, but we are at fault if we fail to use what we do have. It goes without saying that we are responsible to develop and use the spiritual gifts that the Lord has given us. It is wrong to spend most of our time and energy making more money and trying to “get the most out of life” while letting the use of our spiritual gifts become decadence. You will give an account directly to the Lord concerning the misuse of the spiritual gifts he entrusted you. A Christian with great physical appearance or athletic prowess has outstanding opportunities to attract people to the Lord. The late great Reggie White was a living paradigm of this; also an unadulterated man of God !! Reggie believed whole heartedly his purpose and mission was to simply profess and proclaim the word thru athletics and bring souls to the Lord!!!! R.I.P.

The Bible teaches us that responsible use of what we have received is not an option as far as God is concerned. It’s a required responsibility. We are not to lose or abuse whatever God gives us, but use it for his glory. Faithful use of the gifts and talents which we have received will someday result in praise from the lips of our Lord. Our ”claim to fame” will never be on the basis of what God has given us, but rather on the basis of how we use what he has entrusted us with.

Blessings,

~ BJS

Soul food sides: [1 Corinthians 4:7] ; [Luke 12:48]; [1corinth 4:5,7 1;3]; [ Matthew 25:14-30]; [2corinth 2:8-12]; [Psalms 103;14]

Motivational Vitamin

Are you willing to change?

Your life right now is the result of the things you have done up until this point in time. If you want your life to be different, you will need to make changes.

Wishing for a better life won‘t make it so. In order for “things“ to change, you must be willing to change. That means getting out of your comfort zone. It means facing your fears. It means you may need to change your career, your friends, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, where you live, your daily schedule.

You are remarkably adaptable. If you‘ve made it this far, you have already gone through many major changes in all aspects of your life. From being an infant to a toddler to a child to a teen to an adult, the first few years of your life were filled with constant change. You are certainly up to the task.

Almost always, the fear of change, the fear of the unknown, is worse than the change itself. Once you understand this, then you realize that it is easier to change than to resist change.

There are things you need to do, changes you need to make. Go ahead with them. Don‘t waste your energy fearing them or resisting them. Dive right in and do what needs to be done. Change is a constant part of life. When you fear it, it will happen anyway, out of your control. When you embrace change, it will enable you to reach your goals.

~ R. Marston

Vita Quotes

“Its good to be a Christian and know it, but it even better to be a Christian and show it”

“Success comes in cans, failures comes in can’ts.”

“Falling down doesn’t make you a failure, staying down does.”

“Many of men have failed because he had his wishbone where his backbone should have been.”

Vita Vocab

Exhortation = a communication intended to urge or persuade one to take action;

Extortionate/Usurious= greatly exceeding bounds of reasons or moderation;

Farcical= Broadly or extravagantly humorous; ludicrous or ridiculous;

Put On The Whole Armor of God

Spiritual Vitamin “Soul food 4 thought”:

Ephesians 6:11—Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil….

Father, today I dress myself in the whole armor of God having done all to stand, putting on:

The Helmet of Salvation…. The helmet will keep me from being double-minded. Let the mind of Christ Jesus be in me, that I may cast down all vain imaginations and take captive every idle thought. I choose today to think on whatever is noble, just, pure, lovely, of a good report.

The Breastplate of Righteousness….When I surrendered to the cross of my Savior, I was wrapped in the white robe of Jesus Christ who is all righteousness; it is my breastplate; it will protect my heart, which is the wellspring of life.

The Girdle of Truth…. Jesus is my Savior, the Way, the Truth and the Life. I walk in the truth of who I am in Christ Jesus. I am a lover of Truth for it has set me free.

The Shoes of the Gospel…. I walk in the knowledge that God so loved the world, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ and because of His obedience. I will not be ashamed of the Gospel of the Lord that I serve.

The Shield of Faith…. The shield of faith quenches the fiery darts of the evil one. The Lord is my shield and buckler. You are my Shield, and my exceedingly Great Reward.

The Sword of the Spirit…..The Word of God is more powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. The Sword of the Living God will pierce the hardness of the heart allowing light to penetrate, bringing repentance, healing and restoration.

Unceasing Prayer…. I will pray for the saints without ceasing that He will be their protector, provider, and the lifter of their heads.

The Promises Of God Belong Only To Those Who Have Surrendered Their Lives To Christ and been cleansed In His blood! John 1:12, says, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. God‘s promises can be considered as spiritual certificates of deposit and we are spiritual heirs to these deposits. Christ has paid the price for us at the Cross and allows us to present our drafts, the promises to claim that which God has promised to provide. In return, we receive the great blessings God has pledged to us by, through and on account of His Son, Jesus Christ. His promises belong only to those who are children of God through faith: Heirs according to His Word. They belong to those who have joined into a spiritual union with Christ and have clothed themselves with His robe of righteousness. God‘s promises are given on condition of our willingness to listen to His voice and obey His commands.

If you will listen diligently to he voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to follow all His commandments, which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.

Now, by this we know that we know him if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,“ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him. But, whoever keeps His Word truly the love of God I perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

Blessings,

~ BJS

 Soul Food Sides: [1 John2:3-5] [Deuteronomy 20:1-2] [John 1:12] [Ephesians 6:11]

Vita Quotes:

“A person who graduated yesterday and stopped studying today is uneducated tomorrow” ~ BjS

“Good teaching consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people.” ~ UK

  ”a great man is hard on himself , an average man is hard on others.” ~ UK

“a Half orange taste as sweet as a whole.” ~UK

Motivational Vitamin:

Live like you love it

Even though it is unpleasant, you can do it if you must. Even if it is difficult and complicated, you can work your way through it when you choose.

Select your path not because it is easy but because it is right, for you, for your world, for your purpose, for your life. Spend your precious time not just to pass the time, but to build meaningful value.

See that in each challenge is a new way to grow stronger. Know that in each problem is an opportunity to move forward.

When the results are not what you expected, that‘s no reason to lower your expectations. Instead, learn from the disappointment, raise your expectations even higher, and fashion a more effective approach.

This is your life and this very day is your chance to fill it with real and meaningful substance. This is when you can experience the special beauty and fullness of what it means to be you.

Whatever the constraints, whatever the situation, live like you love it. And you will.

VITA VOCAB:

Querulous = habitually complaining or whiney;

Poignant = to be keenly distressing to the heart or mind;

Plighted =to promise by solemn pledge;

The Desires of Your Heart ….

Spiritual Vitamin “Soul food 4 thought”: God Will Give You What You Desire

Psalm 37:4-5 says, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”

God wants to bless us. God wants us to be full of joy. God wants us to have all the things we need. As a parent, when your kids want something it‘s your duty to provide their desires.. As for me, I get pleasure in providing for my loved ones then to see the joy and excitement on their faces when getting something they have greatly desired means so much to me. It brings me great joy when I see happiness in the lives of the many I have been able to bring their desires to reality. God our Father feels the same way about us. Take in consideration what the book of Romans says, ”What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, he is more than the whole world against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” God loved us so much He gave us the greatest gift known to man, His own Son! If that is not affirmation enough! What else could there be that He wouldn’t give us? “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” To these general considerations mentioned in Matthew, what we must do is commit our lives to God; which doesn’t just mean going to church and reading your Bible every now and then. Commit means to put God in charge of every portion of your life. Many times we are impetuous to what God has in store for us. We act out of fear or being uncomfortable. God sometimes places us in difficult situations so we can grow our character. Other times for us to pray to him for his will. Your decisions, your fears, your joy, your job, your children, your body, money, and everything else must be put in God’s hand. Our hearts and minds also need to be tuned into God. John says, ”If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” We also need to trust in God. We need to have faith in God. We need to have an understanding of who He really is. You can’t figure it out on your own. You need to dive into your Bible and read about God. Read about what He has done and what He is capable of doing. Read about His love for mankind. Pray for understanding. Pray for more faith. Delight yourself in the Lord. Take pleasure in Him. Seek your happiness and joy from Him. He is the only source who can give true joy and happiness. Receiving that from other sources is only temporary. Listen to God. Find out how very much He loves you. As in 1 Corinthians which tells us, ”But as it is written, eyes hath not seen, nor ears heard, neither have entered into the hearts of men, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Without question, “You can’t even imagine the wonderful things that God has in store for you. Are you ready to start receiving blessings from the Father who loves you more than anyone could ever come close to doing? The ball is in your court. What are you going to do with it?

 Blessings,

 Soul Food Sides: [ 1 Corinthians 2:9] [John 15:7] [Matthew 7:7-11] [Romans 8: 31-32] [ Psalms 37:4-5]

Vita Quotes:

“Sick of following your dreams, ask them where they are going and hook up with them later” ~ M. Hedberg

“If you can’t take me at my worst then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” ~ B. Smith

  ”Oh, you hate your job.. There is a support group for that. It’s called “unemployment” and they meet at the social club.” ~ UK

“Good manners will open doors that the best education can’t.” ~UK

Motivational Vitamin:

Determined Enough

You deserve the very best achievement of which you’re capable. The challenges and setbacks and disappointments are there to make you determined enough to get it.

If you’re not getting the results you expected, see it as an opportunity to experiment with other approaches. You’ll likely find something that works even better than you could have imagined.

Eventually you’ll look back on all the challenges and be thankful for them. You’ll realize that the strength and effectiveness gained in working through those challenges added great value to the whole undertaking.

You won’t avoid all the setbacks, but then you really wouldn’t want to. For you can choose to take them all in stride and let them make you that much stronger, that much more determined, and that much more successful.

Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, feel inspired about yourself. After all, you had the courage to get started in the first place and you have the determination to keep going no matter what.

~ R. Martson

VITA VOCAB:

Supercilious= having or showing superiority or disdain to those one view as unworthy;

Servile= to be submissive or subservient; fawning in behavior or attitude;

Resplendent=to have great beauty or splendor; be glorious;

“Life” or “Death” with the tongue…

The Words That We Speak

 Preface: I was inspired to write about this topic from the love of my life and better half. This topic must have certainly prodded at her spirit. She discussed it with me fervently so I thought I would take time today and focus only on this simple, yet perplexing subject that so many people are unaware exist. Having vacillated about such subjects at various times, we have come to understand that the power of thought, speaking life into existence, and changing your words can have a major impact on your destiny. With that said, however I am of the belief that all of these conditions must be favored by and in line with God’s will for your life.

Some excerpts from the books we have read such as “The Secret“, “The 8 Rules of Money”, and “The Purpose Driven Life,“etc; have impacted our thinking and how we truly align our thoughts to what we want in our lives. One case in point, “Everything that is coming into your life you are attracting into your life. And it is attracted to you by virtue of the images you’re holding in your mind. It’s whatever you are thinking. Whatever is going on inside your mind is a result of your thought.” In Rhonda Byrnes book, “The Secret”, she also speaks on the Law of Attraction. This Law has been around since the beginning of time and will always be. It is the Law that determines the complete order of the universe, every moment of your life, and every single thing you experience in your life. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are, the law of attraction is forming your entire life experience, and this all-powerful law is doing it through your thoughts. You are the one who calls the law of attraction into action, and you do it through your thinking and what comes from your mouth.

The words that we speak, are they of life or death? Do they give us hope or discouragement? Since we are held responsible for every word we speak, I think we had better listen very carefully to what
we are saying, not just to our brethren, but also to ourselves. Let us discover some scripture as to what Jesus said:

• Mt.12:36-37 “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned”.
  
• Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
  
• Ezek 11:19 “I will give them one new heart, and I will put a new Spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh.”
  
• Proverbs 13:3 “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.”
  
• Proverbs 15:4 “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but unruliness in it breaks the spirit.”
  

Lets us now look more closely at the words condemn and justified. Justified, which means to be freed from guilt without blame and in that, we are proven right. Condemn, on the other hand means to be pronounced unfit for use by God or guilty. If it’s the word of God it is Life, if we are speaking out of line with God’s intent, it is death. And as we know, words can be damaging and destroy everyone who hears them even yourself. So what are we eating and what are we living on? Is it Life of Death? Again, Proverbs says, “Death and Life are in the power of the tongue. And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof”.

In your own life, has there been a time someone said something negative to you and you just wilted inside as if you had just died?  Or perhaps, someone uttered some beautiful words of encouragement that gave hope to you in that very instance. This is evidence of the power of the tongue. So we must take kindly to life with our tongue and tame our tongues so we are speaking living words of life and realness. The scriptures says, “Where there is no wood, the fire goeth out; where there is no talebearers, the strife ceaseth.”

Thus I am led to yet another remark, to have words of life our hearts must be circumcised and our mind put on Christ, while also communicating intimately with him in Spirit and in truth. He is within us and resides within our heart. So, why not speak the words of life and live? We must be transformed in the renewing of our hearts and minds. A double minded man is surely unstable in all his ways. And as long as we are thinking negative of anything or anyone, we cannot claim to have our minds on God, neither have our hearts been circumcised.

I trust you see what Jesus is saying to us? We must hear from our father and speak what we hear. To sum up what is meant by this; We can know the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, know it chapter and verse, and shout it to the world from the top of our lungs, but without the Spirit and if God didn’t decree it, without authenticity, it is death! Jesus, in John 6:63, said, “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.” Do you see it? The flesh profits nothing -. So when the Spirit moves through us, let us speak it as not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…” Then the words that we speak are Spirit and Life. They glorify God, not ourselves!

We as believers of the word of God are supposed to be speaking life and not death. We are supposed to give words of encouragement and not words of discouragement. Matthew 12:36 says,” that we will be accounted for by the good and the bad things we say at the time of judgment. Believers should also remember that “you reap what you sow,“so sow good seeds! If you do not want to be disrespected, then you should be respectful to others. Treat others how you would want to be treated. While you are down on your luck, you would want someone to speak words of encouragement to you. It is very important that during these times, your really careful of what you say to people; possibly out of frustration. You might be unaware of somebody else’s problem and the condition of their heart. As Christians, we really need to be careful what we let into our spirits. You need to have your spiritual guard up at all times because the enemy is out to kill, steal and destroy. He will do whatever it takes to keep you off track and distracted. We have to remember that we’re in a battle zone. The enemy will try to make you question God’s decision and even God.

There are three steps to keep your guard up. The first one is to censor what comes into your mind. Garbage in, garbage out!! Be careful of what you listen to. This includes music, people talking, movies etc. These devices can plant seeds in your mind without you even knowing; especially music and reality TV, which can be vehicles to create disorder and distraction in our lives!!. Next, watch the words that come out your mouth. Your tongue can speak life and death. Lastly, control your behavior particularly if driven by your emotions. As you can see, the enemy can be very tricky with his techniques. But you don’t have to worry about being fooled when you are in line with God’s word and your mind has been transformed…Amen.

The Road To Failure…

Spiritual Vitamin “Soul food 4 thought”:

PREFACE: We all fail in life at some point or another; teachers, doctors, lawyers, preachers, political leaders etc; but one thing is common to all of these cases. Failure does not just happen instantaneously. Normally, it’s a process. Christians do not suddenly tank, it too is also a step by step process down the road to failure. An example of such failure was in the story of Lot who was a righteous man that believed, but failed to use his life for God. He traveled the road of failure and it can very well happen to any Christian. Your life can be one that stands for God or one that’s in shamble as far as the external values. How disgraceful it would be to stand before God proclaiming a destitute life and serving no useful purpose at all.. Therefore, as growing Christians let us make every effort to avoid going down the road to failure.

The story of Lot‘s first failure came as a result of his myopic and unjust perspective. His selfish choice “it‘s all about me“,was based on what seem to be the best deal at the time.. Lot had the wrong perspective due to his lack of communion with God. This same viewpoint is similar to that of the Christian who is not in fellowship with the Lord. Secular, selfish and shortsighted…. Like Lot many of us travel this road to failure when we take our eyes off God and focus on all the worldly possibilities available to us. Shallow it may be, but it‘s natural for us to gravitate to that which will bring us the most pleasure, power, and prestige. God‘s word clearly states what this world has to offer us is doomed. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, this world is programmed for God’s judgment. It is only a matter of time before the earth itself will be destroyed and replaced with a new heaven and earth in which righteousness dwells. Knowing this, why would you invest your time and money into materialism that has no eternal value? This action is sure to lead you down a road of failure.

Although Abraham and Lot had the same biological, social, and cultural backgrounds there was contrasting differences between the two. Abraham, a faithful believer, having the right perspective and outlook on things walked with, and in communion with the Lord. Lot, a believer also, did not worship or call on the Lord. What about us? Do we have a life of an Abraham perspective or a Lot perspective?

The book of Hebrews tells us Abraham was looking for a city with a solid foundation and with God as the architect. Abraham was resting by faith on the promises of God’s word to him and not taking interest in synthetic cities like Sodom and Gomorrah. He was concerned with more solid foundations–the eternal values of God. What kind of city are you looking for?

Lot’s second faux pas on the road to failure was his flirting with the worldly idea to move in the region of Sodom, but not completely. This is usually the next step in a Christian’s failure. It‘s not a matter of living in “open sin”. It’s just a move in the wrong direction. Examples being; taking a job which involves unethical practice, involvement in worldly extracurricular activities that are not Christian like, or loving an irresistible unbeliever; all these can be “innocent” moves in the wrong direction and not long before the move into Sodom. Again, what contrast we see in Abraham. Yes, he moved also but in a totally different direction. The high country of Hebron is where he built an altar unto the Lord… There the lord promised him the entire land. Why not move? God said he will someday return and setup his kingdom on earth. Faithful and enduring Christians in this life are promised an abundant share in that kingdom.

Lot‘s association with Sodom caused him much strife and turmoil, unlike Abraham who was free from all this nonsense. Not free to the degree of uncaring, because he cared about his mate Lot and decided to help him, This to is a lesson for Christians proper relationship to this world. A Godly walk will deliver us from much of the turmoil and confusion of this secular world but we must do our part to help the people who are caught in its choke hold. We should as Christians do all we can to “rescue” our failing brothers and sisters in Christ. Like Abraham, it doesn‘t mean we have to embellish the “Sodom system” in order to help the people there. In fact, that is precisely why we can help because we‘re not part of that system. The bible claims we are to be transformed and not conform to the world. Jesus said be in contact with the world but not part of the evil world system. Abraham was not “sucked in” by the King of Sodom. It wasn’t by chance though; God has his ways of strengthening us at crucial times.

By now, Lot is fully ensnared in the affairs of Sodom eventually losing everything, but his life. If I may, Lot was some new fool!!! Too preposterous for belief, another step on the road to failure. You would think by now, Lot had learned his lessons from the love Abraham demonstrated earlier in helping him. It‘s fair to say failing believers become hardened to love and common sense. Imagine Abraham’s frustration at this point which many of us can surely identify with. Sometimes it takes a very earth-shattering and traumatic experience to get a believer out of Sodom. A visit from angels and fire from heaven finally forced Lot from Sodom, but not without great struggle. Sadly, Abraham an outsider, garnered more respect from the King of Sodom in one day than Lot did in a lifetime. Like Lot, the ensnared Christian may not be involved in the “grosser” sins of this world, but his thinking becomes twisted and distorted because he is out of touch with God.

All Lot’s failures, began with a choice, having disastrous effects upon him, his family and finally on all of Israel. Lot‘s story is a transparent and earnest warning for every Christian. Living in the “City of Sodom” is nothing more than a dispirited illusion and desolate demise. I trust you will travel the road with greater purpose and not the one to failure!

 Blessings,

~ BJS

Soul Food Sides:
Genesis 13;14;19] [2peter 2:7-8] [1corinth 3:11-15] [2corinth 5:10] [Genesis 11:12] [Genesis 12:1-3]

Vita Quotes:

“Don‘t attempt to be no one but yourself, because everyone else is taken.“ ~Wilde

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow and learn as if you were to live forever.“~ Ghandi

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a cancelled check, today is all the cash you have so spend it wisely.“ ~B. Smith

Motivational Vitamin:

Enjoy life:

By enjoying who you are, you bring out the best you can be. When you enjoy what you‘re doing, what you‘re doing will create great value. When you find something to truly enjoy about where you are, you also find new and rewarding possibilities.

By enjoying the moment you‘re in, you bring unique richness to your life. It‘s not the situation itself that determines whether or not life is enjoyable. It‘s the way you choose to respond to the situation. Enjoyment is not a certain, pre-defined set of circumstances. Enjoyment is a choice.

The more conditions you put on your enjoyment of life, the less time you‘ll spend experiencing enjoyment. Instead of weighing down your enjoyment with arbitrary conditions, set it free by making it unconditional. Enjoy life, wherever you are and whatever you‘re doing, just because you can. Enjoy life as it is, and your enjoyment makes it better and better.

Blessings,

~R.Martson

VITA VOCAB:

Disconcerting =to cause an emotional disturbance;

Placating= intending to pacify or acceding to demands or granting concessions;

Capitulate =to surrender under agreed conditions, or terms;