Listening Faithfully

Special Reflection: A Small Word on Anger

I know there are all kinds of reasons people feel anger, there are all kinds of things which can provoke us to anger. However, I ask that you check this emotion in for a better outlook on life by considering these simple verses from the bible: The first one to consider is:

“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” ~Proverbs 15:1

In this it takes a great amount of will power to give a soft answer when really what you want to do is scream and yell and through a fit and let the world know your hurting.

In those time when you absolutely can not give a calm answer revert to this passage, :

“Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” ~ Psalm 141:3

In times of great stress when you have come under attack consider this prayer:

1 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; 2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah. 4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings. 5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside ; they have set gins for me. Selah. 6 I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD. 7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. 8 Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah. 9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again . 11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him. 12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor. 13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence. ~ Psalm 140.

These tools which have been given to us by God out of love is the tool kit we need to draw from. The secret to this wisdom is that you don’t make the vow of observing these tools aloud in public and to your kids or ex. You observe these things in private every morning, every evening before closing or opening your eyes. I promise your anger will give away to love and understand, but it does take time.

Amen

If you have been moved by this message then I urge you to also find it in your heart to help support Listening Faithfully by donating today. May God bless you and keep you all the days of your life. May he protect you and fill your heart with peace and wisdom to do his will every single day until the end. Amen

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Prayer of Strength

Each day you get out of bed pray this simple prayer, I promise it will fill you with the holy spirit: “Dear Lord, in Jesus’s name I pray; I ask you to give me the strength I need to do your will, I ask you for the words from your loving heart to spread to those who would do me wrong, and to uplift those who need it the most. Lord, God in heaven I beg you to fill my heart with your wisdom so my actions reflect your divine purpose, and Lord I humbly require the courage to make all this a reality in this day and every day for the remainder of my life. Lord I surrender completely to you. Amen”

Reflection 4: Abundant Love

“⁶Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God,compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; ⁷who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” ~ Exodus 34:6-7

The road to living without expectations from others is a road to freedom. It is a choice, a frame of mind, a deep force which is made whole through action and faith. It is like saying, “Enough with this world, I want God only!” It is a transition within your heart, one that leads you from looking for acceptance, looking for repayment, looking for love, and yes looking for satisfaction. Turning from the world to not looking, or yearning, or expecting, but rather knowing your loved, knowing your accepted, knowing your treasure is infinite for all time in God. For our Lord God in Heaven has already given us, His children compassion, grace, abounding love, truth, life, forgiveness, and He sealed it with His blood on the cross. Why, then would you turn to evil, do evil and sin in His presence, rebel against Him who is all powerful, all knowing, and all loving? Why fight when all you have to do is surrender your heart to God, and allow Him to work in your life. For know this simple truth, God does not delight in the punishment of sinners, or the evil or wicked, rather He has given many chances for those people to turn form evil works and to turn instead to righteousness. For God hath spared many, yearns to spare millions more if only they wake up and live. For our God will punish the wicked, and He alone will curse the multitude and all who come from their line. Therefore, the road to life is a road without living in the world, but rather living in the abundance of God in its wholeness, it is taking hold of his hand and never letting go, never looking back, and staying convicted in the truth of God all the days of your life.

“¹¹Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’” ~ Ezekiel 33:11

Expectations in the world demands so much effort, it demands so much time and gives nothing back. It is like a heartless taskmaster who works you to the bone without mercy, yet almost every human being accepts this fate without question. Do we not get angry when someone tells us they will do something in return for something we have only for them to not deliver. Where have then placed our faith? Know that it was not intended by our God to ever be so, yet Satan delivered to mankind sin. Satan gave us sin and taught us to rebel with the simple idea that God is not love. This lie is the same lie we hear everyday when we place our faith in other people instead of God. For Satan’s undoing was found within the death of CHRIST ON THE CROSS. So our fate can be with God, with eternal love, with abounding joy, with our Lord forever if we simple make one shift in our heart, mind, and soul and open the door to God and forever close it to Satan and this world.

Be on guard for the attacks that follow when you make this transition, as Satan will try his best to turn you back to a life filled with sin, for it is written;

“¹⁸When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it.” ~ Ezekiel 33:18

But again God does not take pleasure in the punishment of the wicked, therefore God offers to you repentance for it is also written;

“¹⁹But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them~ Ezekiel 33:19

I say to you that it is better to emulate God, than Satan, it is better to live without expectations in man than it is to live within the world slaving away for nothing but dust in the grave. For it is a much fruitful life to live with your eyes open and your filled with the glory of God than it is to be blinded, condemned, and torchered for eternity.

“⁴⁵Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” ~ Luke 24:45-47

Jesus Died for all men, Jews and Gentiles alike, His sacrificed Himself just as Abraham was asked by God to do to Isaac.God stole from Satan his victory and tore the cloth from the synagogue and brought down all evil for all time. God, through His son Jesus Christ made all things new, and this was their plan since before the foundations of the world where poured.

“⁶Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; ⁷but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; ⁸the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; ⁹but just as it is written,

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

¹⁰For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” ~ 1 Corinthians 2:6-10

To live without expectations is to live within God and His perfect wisdom, wisdom given by the Holy Spirit. Therefore turn from your wicked ways and live.

Amen

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Special Prayer For a Special Family

The word “Family” was created from a need to describe a special grouping of people that love and care for one-anther. Thus, it is no wonder then that Jesus used the word to describe how he feels about all of us, and was the driving force behind his glorious sacrifice at Calgary. In many ways we are all connected, we are one despite from where we come. So with this in mind I want to offer to this world community: “Family”, I have created here with Listening Faithfully an opportunity to come together and send a special prayer for two of my sisters whom I hold very dear to my heart, friends whom I have both taught with at school, have seen them both grow in the field of teaching, and sadly today have a special need in their life. I ask that you pray for their father whom tomorrow will undergo surgery. I have been asked to not reveal their last name, nor the nature of the surgery, but I am going to say that it does indeed require many prayers from all of us here at Listening Faithfully. So I ask everyone to prayer twice tonight, and twice tomorrow, October 4, 2012 this special prayer;

Lord God in heaven, we pray to you through your son Jesus Christ, we ask that you hear our cry’s and our words of concern for a man who has been a loving, devoted father, husband, and mentor to all who have known him. We ask that your loving hand is upon him tomorrow during his surgery and that you bless his family with love, grace, and acceptance for what may transpire, always knowing that they are stronger in your abiding love. Lord let them be calmed by these words long ago whispered by your servant David, ‘The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.’ ~ Psalm 41:3 Lord we ask for your healing hand to be extended upon my two sisters father Clemente and that you are there with him holding his hand reassuring him, building him up, and taking away all fear and doubt, and that his recovery is complete in your most powerful ways. It is to you Oh Lord, God in Heaven, Father Almighty that we turn, that we pray this prayer of healing and of courage. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

While praying this prayer feel free to say “I” in place of “we” and “my” in the place of “our” where appropriate, but please do pray.

As always if you have been moved by this prayer, I invite you to leave a comment to show your support to my two sisters and their family.

Amen

Reflection 3: Expect God!

“Everyone who acknowledges me in public will be celebrated by the angels.” ~Lost Gospel Q, Q47

WHAT THE WORLD PROVIDES

In our daily lives temptation and earthy desires constantly tug at us like a child at a store that wants something in the checkout isle. Sin constantly rips at our mind and heart doing its best to convince us that the pleasures of life is all we need and is more important than living a morally centered life. The majority of us look the other way when a beggar asks for money, or when a person is in need of rescue from harm. We as human beings have grown into a complacency that dictates we are not morally accountable for not helping our fellow man. In this doctrinal philosophy man has also become complacent with our societal expectations that operate underneath our everyday experience largely unnoticed and unchecked. These expectations govern how we feel about what makes us happy, to what is wrong with the world, and in large part is also directly responsible for our inflated since of self or the grouse inflation of the ego, and more importantly is the drivers behind the falling away from our natural expectation of God and His important role in our lives. We live in a world where some of us exist within an alternate reality which feeds a psychosis of, “Do whatever you want because there is no repercussions of your actions.” Or worse yet, “If you don’t agree with me then your harassing me!” In this psychosis reason and logic fades away into a world of absolutes to the extremes be them good or bad, and is largely accompanied by character traits which make others believe in their misguided truth, in their non-logical beliefs, and then true domination of mind, body, and soul begins. From these people you can expect chaos, as they do not deal well with the message of God, his divine love, mercy, and majestic power over all things. Because for them to admit that God is Alfa and Omega would mean they would have to submit to God, and these people do not submit to anyone, specifically a God they cannot see, hear, or touch, because their life is centered within the natural world, not the spiritual one that Jesus preached about. Arguing with these people is impossible, as they are always right, even when proven wrong. Love runs off their backs like water, kindness is only accepted on their terms, and then they rush to claim all the glory of the hard work of other peoples loving kindness and gentle deeds. The world revolves around them, man’s or God’s laws have no meaning for they live by a code of opportunistic self-preservation tactics which abuse all laws that favor them, and everything else falls to the category of harassing, damning, slanderous insults against their critics, or those they target. These people will say they follow the Bible, but their actions are more like that of Satan, as they truly believe in their own self-centered blind ambition which leads them on a path that closely resembles a cruel dictator, or one who crushes other peoples happiness for the sack of their own joy. These people do not truthfully acknowledge Jesus and therefore will not be celebrated by the Angels. I write this first to forewarn you, God is all we need, God is all we can expect, and God is all we should ever want. God should be placed first in your life, thus everything else is a wash. With God we can expect true love, true kindness, true honesty, true mercy, and true forgiveness. There is no human psychosis which can stand against God, there is nothing which God cannot do, and in the end humanity will either come to grips with this one truth, or be damned within this Satanic, self-serving frame of mind and will live and die being forever absent of God.

^“2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” ~ James 1:2-7

EXPECT GOD TO…

Expect God to heal your heart, comfort your tired and troubled soul, and to give you the words and wisdom you need to do his will within your life. In this our unrealistic expectations of our fellow man melts away to a world of pure joy because for the first time pain is bearable, hardships are surmountable, and love is attainable. Giving in to the love of God is scary because this requires us to believe in God, to believe He hears us without direct proof, and to walk with absolute faith in a concept that builds our character as it transforms our life. Its scary because there is so much we don’t know about God and in stark contrast the world is all around us, tempting us, pulling at us, telling us to expect nothing from God and everything from the world. Doubt is part of our nature, we are naturally skeptical about almost everything we do not know or are afraid of. This built-in skepticism is one of many survival instincts programmed into our brain, and it overrides almost every other trait we have with the exception of God’s love. It goes without saying that our children seek love and acceptance from their parents, just as all people seek the love and acceptance from God. Doubt fades in the reality of this basic need to be accepted by our parents, our loved ones within our community, and that of our creator. Satan uses this basic need and turns it into an unrealistic expectation using fear and that of our natural doubt. He puts us through trials and tribulations always looking out for the weakness in our faith. He probes our mind, heart, and soul looking for all the cracks in our devotion to God. Satan can take the simplest, most innocent thing and twist it into the most horrific, most perverse action and self-righteously condemn everyone else for it. This is why Jesus instructed us through his message of peace and love to rejoice in God, to rejoice when others curse you. For this simple action of rejoicing in times of hardship and intense scrutiny is in reality like using a two edged sword against Satan, it cuts at his flesh, tears away at his unholy soul, and reminds him to who you belong. Rejoice, when others curse you and do not doubt that God has heard your cries and has seen everything and everyone who has come forth to harm you, for in this you can expect God! You can expect God to generously give to you without finding fault!

WHAT THE LORD PROVIDES

The Lord provides in ways that we cannot possibly understand nor fully realize. Take for instance each blade of grass, each tree that sprouts from the ground, and each rose that blooms in the spring and summer. Have you ever asked who planted them or from where the seed came? Have you ever asked who gave it the nourishment and the water ? Have you ever asked from where does these things come? For we know the nourishment comes from the ground and the water comes from the sky, but who placed the nourishment in the ground and who put the water in the sky? These are the blessings of God these are his miracles in our daily life. It would be right to consider where do the birds of the air get their food and the lions of the great plains in Africa get their prey, for who feeds them and who gives them the opportunity to be feed? Likewise, it would also be right to not wander in your faith, to not worry about where your next meal will come from. In these examples we live each day expecting God, expecting his love, expecting his holy nourishment, each day we expect him to take care of us just as the animals and the plants of this earth expect God’s merciful hand and God’s love and grace daily. Living your life without expectation does not exclude God because we too expect God’s loving grace each day of our lives. On the contrary living your life with unrealistic expectations puts you in a cage and pushes you further from God. If I expected for man to feed me and to clothe me I would go hungry and I would go naked from man’s grace is not as complete as God’s grace. I could not expect anyone to do the right thing because under the psychosis I spoke about earlier we are righteously indignant and morally bankrupt. Many people say they listen and follow God but their actions are more like Satan and in their wants, desires, their words, and in their blind ambition many have sold out to sin. For Jesus said you cannot serve two masters, as he also called these people of fake faith hopeless!

“You who claim to be the most devout are hopeless! You love sitting in the front row of the synagogue and having people bow down to you in public. You are like whitewashed tombs-beautiful on the surface, but filled with death and decay. Beware to those who load people down with the crushing burden of laws and regulations but do nothing to help them. You have taken away the key of knowledge, but instead of unlocking the door, you have blocked the way for those trying to enter. You erect monuments to prophets who were murdered by your ancestors. They did the killing, you built the tombs. That’s why the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and messengers. Some they will kill, others they will persecute. This generation will have to answer for the blood of every prophet shed since the beginning of the world, from Abel to Zechariah.'” ~Lost Gospel Q, Q44

To expect God is the same as to accept his final judgement in your life. To accept the fact that for each sin there is a consequences even if the laws of man of this world lets you slip through the cracks. There is punishment and, (thank God), the chance for atonement. There is forgiveness, mercy, love, and Gods grace, but there is also real spiritual accountancy. In these realities which we, (the living), have not yet experienced, there has been a counter philosophy or counter-culture that would have people believe there is nothing after you die. The great thinkers of empirical evidence would have many believe that change happens slowly over time and not by the hand of an almighty being that is somewhere in the universe. Still others would have you believe that aliens from outer space is responsible for mankind’s achievements. But I would have you believe that these things were predicted thousands of years before this misguided philosophy had ever took root. Great prophets and messengers lived hundreds of years apart, without the knowledge base of the other to support them in many instances all predicted with remarkable accuracy using much the same verbiage, the coming of the “Son of Man”. Jesus forwards us that there will be a time when the ideas and concepts of mankind will be no match for the judge to come. I would have you believe in a Bible which has been proven to be historically accurate, a book filled with the words of our creator and I would ask you my brethren to stop searching for the aliens, or the evaluation process, but await with great joy the coming of God.

“A time will come when you will long to see the son of man, but you’ll see nothing. There will be those who will say, ‘Look over there’ or ‘Look right here.’ But don’t go searching! Stay right where you are. Because the son of man will come like lighting flashing from one end of the sky to the other. It will be just like it was in the days of Noah. People ate, drank, got married and went on with their lives right up until the day that Noah climbed aboard the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them. That’s how it will be when the son of man is revealed. If two people are sleeping, one will be taken, the other left. If two women are grinding grain at the mill, one will be taken, the other will be left.” ~ Lost Gospel Q, Q80

We can expect God to work miracles and we can also expect God to take his own into heaven within a blink of an eye, for there is nothing which God cannot do. There is nothing that God cannot see, hear, or affect in any manner he so chooses. God is the Alpha and the Omega, and there can be only God. This we can build our hope, renew our soul, find comfort, and find safety against the many who would kill our body. In God’s words and in the sacrifice of Jesus we can expect that there is a force in this world which is stronger and more loving than anything we could ever see or touch. God moves through the waters, the air, the earth, and rests within our hearts, in this you can expect God.

Amen,

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Prayer Request Septemeber 2012

Prayer Request for Fathers: If you are a father and are divorced you will know the tragic pain that the courts and unethical lawyers can inflict upon your family. The following prayer goes out to all fathers but most especially to those with children that have been ripped from then due to our uncaring Judicial System:

PLEASE PRAY

“Dear Lord in heaven, you know the pain caused by isolation, derogation of a mans life, and of his values. Lord you know the evils in peoples hearts that seek to destroy our families and then pretend they have done so in your name. Lord, God in heaven I know you can feel how horrified fathers are when told they will no longer play a major role in their children’s lives. I pray you give them strength to endure such hardships, and wrongful accusations. Lord, God in Heaven I pray you give then wisdom to know what to say and for it to never be said in anger. Lord, God in heaven I ask that you bring peace to their hearts, minds, and souls so that they are no longer burdened with this miserable yoke that they have been forced to carry. Lord, please unshackle their lives and give them meaning once more.” Amen…

May the Lord Be with all fathers and be with you until your last days here on this Earth. Amen

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Special Reflection: Love is…

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NIV Bible

This past couple of weeks I have been reminded of how much Jesus loved us. How He alone showed perfect absolute love no matter the situation that He faced. God’s love as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is the most absolute description to date of God’s perfect love. If you read it completely and then ask yourself where you stack up in your daily life using these standards I am sure you will find that your actions or words to others are no match for this description above.
“23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” ~ Romans 3:23 NIV Bible

However, don’t get to discouraged just yet, no one is perfect as we are all flawed and filled with sin, that is why God’s love is so perfect because it has to be for our Lord to love us so. It is no ascendent that this description begins with love being patient, because how patient is God when dealing with humanity? How patient has God been in dealing with Satan?

There have been a few people over the years as I have been writing and maintaining this specific website and blog who have not been patient, and have been fast to judge me, to presume they know me, who cannot put down their own personal demons, and sadly who are fast to make inaccurate accusations, and then pretend they can judge this body of work I have published here in. All I can say to this is simply the word “patient” implies long suffering, tolerance, and as described by the Webster Dictionary in English; “1. the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.” God instructs us all to emulate Him and He knows we will fall short so we are also instructed to pray for those who do fall short and pray for those who are not patient or kind.

“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” ~ Galatians 5:22-23 NIV Bible

As an educator in dealing with children with different learning aptitudes the temptation is always there to be short or curt with those who ask the same question over, and over, and over, or those who ask a question to which in the start of the lesson I had already answered. Moreover, in this I will say patients must be connected to kindness so the love can shine through. In this situation each teacher has a coping mechanism and mine is simple, I smile underneath the frustration and remind myself by saying in my mind, “You just gotta love’m.” This always brings me to Jesus who exhibited both patience and kindness to everyone most especially his disciples. How many times did Jesus repeat himself in the bible, how many lessons did He teach to the masses then reenforce to His disciples? How many ways did Jesus repeat His message of love to His disciples? In all the ways we can possibly count in the bible of God’s kindness we can also correlate the idea that love is about genuinely being kind to your fellow man. Again in the Merriam Webster Dictionary in English kindness is described as being, “2a : the quality or state of being kind” It is a mental attitude, a choice, and in some instances a rewarding lifestyle. I also find it interesting that the synonyms are listed as, ” benevolence, boon, courtesy, grace, indulgence, favor, mercy, service, and turn.” I must argue that these are the qualities of a kind heart, and a patient loving soul. Again, God instructs us all to emulate Him and He knows we will fall short so we are also instructed to pray for those who do fall short and pray for those who are not kind.

Love does not envy, boast, and is not proud. I am constantly reminded of how prideful some people are, or how some people envy what others have, still I see these same people boast about their things or accomplishments. This is especially troubling because any victory achieved without praising God for it is hollow. The words envy, boast, and proud are what the wicked do, this is the description of sin. Biblically speaking Satan fell from heaven because he was first prideful, he envied God, and second Satan boasted about how great he was, for his throne would be above Gods in Heaven. Pride and Envy makes up two of the original seven deadly sins wrote about by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century who took this list from Greek monastic theologian Evagrius of Pontus (345-399). The saying, “Pride comes before a fall” is the most modern and clearest reference to the fall of Satan, the fall of one-third of all the angels in heaven, and the fall of mankind as found in Genesis. I also must warn everyone against being prideful, but the ear marks of a prideful person is found in how much they boast. There can never be love in an envious, prideful, and boastful heart because there is no room left for anything else, not even for God. Once again, God instructs us all to emulate Him and He knows we will fall short so we are also instructed to pray for those who do fall short and pray for those who are envious, boastful, and prideful.

“46 Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” ~ Luke 20: 46-47

Love does not, “5 dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” In this I find our sin is shown to all for what it is, dishonorable, selfish, angry, and never forgiving. I have been told by some of my harshest detractors that this description would fit me nicely. But, then again they mistake my enthusiasm that I hold for God and His perfect love for something evil and vial. In this Jesus said to rejoice when others persecute you, so my voice on this subject is I hope very loud and very direct. People who go around blaming others all the time, seeking to destroy the love in their targets hearts, seeking to split families and make children chose between two parents they love is selfish, is dishonorable, is angry, and yes these people never forgive because their hearts have been hardened by Satan and influenced by his lies. I can truthfully testify to the world my walk with God is strengthened with each curse word thrown in my direction and makes me hold tighter to God’s hand and abide more in His perfect love, and this is how your own trials and tribulations should make you feel deep inside your heart of hearts. We are not here to judge others, but rather love one another. You cannot love your fellow man or women if your heart is wracked with selfishness. You cannot love others if everything you do is dishonorable. You cannot love people if your angry all the time. You cannot keep records of other peoples wrongs and be truly forgiving. God does not work that way, life in general does not work that way. I have always said that I enjoy everyone’s comments even if they do not agree with me, because my walk with God is different than your walk with God, and so in this we all must be tolerant with one another and celebrate our vast differences. Once more, God instructs us all to emulate Him and He knows we will fall short so we are also instructed to pray for those who do fall short and pray for those who are dishonorable, selfish, angry, and never forgiving.
“1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” ~ Romans 2:1-4 NIV Bible
“6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” The idea of telling the truth is a sacred obligation every human-being is born with. It is like a program written into your heart that which zaps you every time you lie. These zaps build up over time and leads to a weight so heaven upon your heart that it has been know to cause a plethora of anxieties that can be mortally fatal. One of the best examples of how we as a society have tried to reflect God in our laws is found within the need to make a person swear an oath in court before testifying. Sadly perjury or bearing false witness is not something we are very aggressive in prosecuting. On one hand we appear to be moral, but on the other hand we embrace the sin of testifying falsely as through our reluctance to stop it and punish it, therefore in God’s eyes man’s laws and processes found within our judicial system are nothing short of corrupt and filled with hypocrisy. The best example was in the trial of Jesus Christ, when the High Priest took testimony from people who where known liars.

“55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. 57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.’” 59 Yet even then their testimony did not agree. 60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.” ~ Mark 14: 55-65 NIV Bible
Bearing false witness is a sin as it is breaking the eight commandment of God; “ 16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” ~ Exodus 20:16 KJ 2000 Bible.
Each and every time I see this happen my heart hurts for those who are perpetrating this sin, moreover, my heart hurts for those who also instigate it from the innocent. For the Lord Jesus Christ also warned;
“Obstacles to faith are sure to arise, but beware to the one who creates them. It would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around the neck than for that person to mislead one of my followers.” Q 76, The Lost Gospel Q.

Again pray, God instructs us all to emulate Him and He knows we will fall short so we are also instructed to pray for those who do fall short and pray for those who revel in their sin, who delight in evil, and for those who rebuke the truth.
God’s agape Love; “7 always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” The placement of this verse is essential to bring home the true nature of God, His love, and the same message of Jesus. The seventh verse, in numerology is sacred, for the number seven is revered as being holy. The nature of God is a protecting one, it is God’s first line of defense in defending you against evil. God then builds trust within your heart, and your protective actions should also build trust in those you love and protect. God is filled with hope, evidence of this is that two thousand years after His son’s death and resurrection man-kind is still here, God still loves us, and He through His perfect love fills our hearts with hope. Thus, when you protect the ones you love, your trust in them spawns their trust in you. Hope is then poured to form the strongest foundation to all your relationships, again anchoring them upon God’s grace that naturally perseveres and blesses you and all those whom you love unconditionally. Love is patient, love is kind, love rejoices with the truth, love always protects, love always trusts, love always hopes, and love always perseveres, for this is what love is. Finally, God instructs us all to emulate Him and He knows we will fall short so we are also instructed to pray for those who do fall short and pray for those who try their very best to be protecting, trusting, hopeful, and always preserving with their love.

Amen

If you have been moved by this posting then I urge you to leave a comment letting us here at Listening Faithfully know: YOUR THOUGHTS. May God be with you all the days of your life: Go now in peace and spread the Word of God to all you know and love.

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Brian Keith, Founder of Listening Faithfully Blog

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In the spirit of charity and from the necessity to provide for all of Gods children, together in this mission, Listening Faithfully has teamed up with a wonderful charitable organization in East Texas whose name reflects their good works, “God’s Hand Ups” and their work is accomplished by a Godly motivation to help every children throughout their community. I am honored to have them as good friends in the Lord. I can testify before you all today, that my good friend who is a founding member of this charitable group has truly been tested in the manner described here in this blog posting and who has consistently passed this test of giving and working for the benefit of all in her community. I introduce you all to Tonia Allen, who currently has a wonderful new campaign in raising money for children in need. Please visit her donation site: “GOD’S HAND UPS NOT HAND OUTS ” and please be very charitable.

“Someone once told me that compassion was not simple. They believed compassion was huge. Compassion is SO simple as it is an act of kindness from one to another. It is only huge when it becomes over thought. God’s Hand Ups was founded by the vision of a 17 year old junior in high school who believed the world could be saved–“one person at a time.” ~ Tonia Allen, Gods Hands Up, 2013.

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Listening Faithfully Daily Devotional

16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord, than great wealth with turmoil. ~ Proverbs 15:16
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I remember when I was a boy and seeing everyone in great debt. I remember asking myself what motivated my grandparents, my parents, my aunts, and my uncles? In the face of such great debt what made them so happy, so trusting in God? Couldn’t it have been said that God did not bless them with anything other than debt and fear? I remember asking my grandmother that question and I remember her response as if it was yesterday. She said, “Boy… I would rather be afraid of God and poor; live a life filled with God and know that I am blessed, than to be rich and cursed and to know the gates of heaven are forever closed to me.” ~ Pauline Stark, 1973
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That one comment forever sealed my relationship with God. To view the entire post visit me at http://listeningfaithfully.org Signup for our “Daily Devotionals”

Special Reflection: Fathers & Men of God

1 “Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, ² that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you and your sons and your grandsons, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.” ~ Deuteronomy 6:1-2

Arguably the first of all commandments pertaining to fathers is to obey the Lord your God. This was handed down to Moses, the father of Israel, the man of God responsible for thousands of people and who lead them faithfully to the promise land. As a parent and as a father I can not emphasize this point any more, other than to say that God passed to man fatherhood and meant for there to be greater responsibility to fathers for the upbringing and moral teaching to their children. We are held to a sacred oath which states that we are to obey the Lord our God, to emulate His love, grace, understanding, devotion, morality, and faithfulness of our Father who is in Heaven, in teaching our children to do the same. This specific act of obedience is given to fathers solely and is a directive from God Himself.

Interestingly, mans law as it relates to U.S. Family Law is in direct violation to God’s law, as the courts in our country often deny, subvert, alienate, disenfranchise, and falsely empower children of 13 and over, all which destroys the bonds of family which the Family Code in all 50 States are sworn to protect. Because God has been eradicated from the equation in terms of rearing children the reality is frightful, as fathers are forced to flee a potential hostile situation within their own homes perpetrated by their wives, and to date the courts have done nothing to stop it. In addition, because our justice system has in and of its self renounced God our nation is becoming fatherless. This I tell you is the greatest sin any nation on Earth can commit, and it is without doubt the workings of Satan himself. The question I know every father faces who is in this situation is a mind numbing simple one, “If God gave to man this commandment to be obedient and faithful in teaching morality to his children, then why isn’t this right protected under mans law? Doesn’t it benefit everyone in our society for fathers to teach to their children morality?” The answer is just as frustratingly simple, “Because man has renounced God in his own laws!” This attack on the christian faith penetrates every aspect of our belief and practices in worshiping God. In saying this I will also reveal that in each action to suppress the moral teachings of God and the fathers inherent duty to teach his children to also obey God, all of which is biblically supported and sound legally, then it also must be noted that anything other than following Gods commandments is inherently wrong and unholy. It also further destroys the moral fabric of our nation as a whole, and thus there is a price for this arrogance of our legal system which is currently serving the interests of economic wealth, which destroys our families and our nation as a whole, thus serving Satan!

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⁵“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ “You shall bind them as a sign on your hands, and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”~ Deuteronomy 6:5-9

The greatest of commandment for fathers is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. God intended His children to love him, to worship Him alone, to be obedient to His perfect will. Fathers are commanded to emulate this to his family and to his children. This is the bonds which binds fathers to their offspring, that which supports the family structure, and that imparts to his children the morality within their character. God also commands fathers to teach these things “diligently”, giving examples of each teaching of the Gospels within every aspect of his day leaving no room for misunderstanding by describing of how it is to be done within by using the following words, “when you sit, walk, lie down, and when you rise up.” If that wasn’t clear enough God goes even further by stating, “to bind them as a sign on your hands and foreheads. To write them on the doorposts and gates to your house!” Men of God are commanded to teach the children about faith, about love, about mercy, about kindness and respect, and we are commanded to instruct our children in all the ways of God. This is the biblical duty given to fathers, and without it our children suffer greatly.

⁶” Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” ~Proverbs 22:6

According to God the Father, we fathers here on Earth are to spend time with our children. Ironically, I have personally been told that this issue of time spend is less important than the quality of time spent. I tell you now the truth of the matter as God sees it, Fathers are to spend both quality and quantity of time with their children, how else is there to be any morality taught? Yes, there will be hard lessons, ones which the children would rather flee from, and would rather ignore or rebuke, but the lessons need to be taught regardless, and must be protected as a solemn right and duty of the father to teach his children. This can not be done without time given to the father to teach these things, the children can not learn if this instruction is subverted by outsiders, which include everyone other than the father and his children. It is no accident that single mothers complain about their children’s godlessness and lack of respect to them. It is no accident our society is seeing an increase of teenage pregnancies, abortions, drug use, High School drop outs, depression, suicides, and the over all degradation of our spiritual world and belief system. The division of duties given to each parent by God, is holy and both parents need to respect these differences as God has divided them. In no manner of speech have I indicated that fathers are superior to mothers, or that mothers are superior to fathers, as to teach this would be false teaching, instead God has given each sex specific rights as it relates to parenting, for each duty is equal to developing a healthy and well adjusted child in the eyes of God. Again, ironically our Family Law bioses are in conflict to Gods Laws, as women are thought of as the only parent the child needs within our societal indoctrination within the 1970’s Women’s Liberation Movement which left a destructive imprint on the hearts and minds of our legal system which teaches a false ideology, one that dictates, “Fathers are optional.” and “I don’t need a man.” philosophy as it relates to the modern family structure. This false doctrine is not supported by God, or any biblical teaching found in the bible and yet it has such a devastating impact on our courts, families, and has single handily help to destroy the role of fathers in our country today.

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1 ” Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: ³ “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” ⁴And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” ~Ephesians 6: 1-4

The Lord God commands our children to accept the training given by both mother and father, and for fathers not to provoke thy children to anger, but rather teach them about God. Again over and over God commands the father to teach morality, respect, honor, imparting traits of a good and holy character to their children. More to the point however, again their is this dark force within our country which is trying to subvert the role of fathers, so as to clarify what is the role of the modern father and that of men of God the following is a list which can be found online at http://www.citizenlink.com/2010/06/15/mom-and-dad-kids-need-both/

“The father, as the male parent, brings unique contributions to the job of parenting that a mother cannot. Psychology Today explains, “Fatherhood turns out to be a complex and unique phenomenon with huge consequences for the emotional and intellectual growth of children.”
Boys who grow up with dads have their masculinity affirmed and learn from their fathers how to channel their strength in positive ways. Fathers help children understand proper male sexuality, hygiene, and behavior in age appropriate ways. Fathers help connect their children, (especially boys) to job markets as they enter adulthood. This is because fathers, more than mothers, are likely to have the kinds of diverse community connections needed to help young adults get their first jobs. They are also more likely to have the motivation to make sure their children make these connections.
Girls with involved, married fathers are more likely to have healthier relationships with boys in adolescence and men in adulthood because they learn from their fathers how proper men act toward women. They have a healthy familiarity with the world of men, and know which behaviors are inappropriate. This knowledge builds emotional security, and helps to safeguard them from the exploitation of predatory males.
Studies have shown that the presence of a father strongly correlates to children avoiding incarceration. The absence of the father as an authority figure can contribute to a child’s disregarding laws and rules. “70% of juveniles in state reform institutions grew up in single or no-parent situations.”

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God our father in Heaven knows best for us, he always has and to do anything other than what is commanded is unholy, and does not come from God, rather from Satan. God created fatherhood to be non-optional, non-negotiable, and intrinsically important to the rearing of children. God knew that men of faith, fathers and leaders of their households play a decisive role in the upbringing of their sons and daughters, a role that which cannot be filled by anyone else including the mother. Fathers sacred duty to their daughters helps to insure and prepare them in having healthy relationships with men in their life, in this daughters become more secure and are able to be a better parent and wife herself. Men make for a better disciplinarian and when anchored in moral discipline all children have a better chance at becoming well adjusted adults. To hold a healthy fear of God is biblical, and this also is an attribute all fathers are commanded to hold.

Upon this fathers day I hope the world can see and express and be enriched by the many blessings of God, in both his moral teachings and in its real world applications. Cherish your Earthly fathers, for they have a sacred obligation which needs to be celebrated.

Amen

May God be with you always, may his hand be upon you, and may your life be blessed with the fullness of our Lord.

Please do not forget to make a donation to Fathers Rights as Listening Faithfully gives each donation to help fund struggling fathers meet their legal obligations. Currently we are accepting donations of any size, but if you find that you have been moved by this message and can afford to give in the $100.00 range, then know your gift will be part of our strategic $8000.00 pledge to fight for Fathers Rights in America, and men nation wide will be grateful to your generosity. To meet this target we only need 80 such donations of $100.00 each and for each donation a Prayer Card with your name will be given to each father we help. In addition your name will be listed here on our site, along with a special, “I SUPPORT FATHERS RIGHTS” T’shirt with your name on the back will be mailed back to you as a special donor. So please do not hesitate today to give so our fathers can be that Godly father Our Lord has commanded all of us to be to our children.
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