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”
Tag: God
Reflection 4: Abundant Love
“6 Then 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; 7 who 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.
“11 Say 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;
“18 When 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;
“19 But 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.
“45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and 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.
“6 Yet 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; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the 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; 9 but 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.”
10 For 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
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
To communicate directly with me please click the following link: LISTENING FAITHFULLY COMMUNITY: FACEBOOK PAGE
Help Support Listening Faithfully
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.
Special Request: I ask that you also become a subscriber and that you continue to come back and read and follow the word of God and grow in Spirit and Faith as you walk hand in hand with Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Please do not forget to visit us at LISTENING FAITHFULLY * FACEBOOK PAGE * COMMUNITY FAN PAGE * STORE PAGE. In addition don’t forget to LIKE US while your there.
God Bless,
Brian Keith, Founder of Listening Faithfully Blog
EVERY KINDLE PURCHASED FROM LISTENING FAITHFULLY STORE GOES TO SUPPORT COMPUTER LITERACY!
________________________________________________________________________________
ANNOUNCES TO THE COMMUNITY OF FOLLOWER, FRIENDS, AND SUBSCRIBERS;
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.
_________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
ANNOUNCING LISTENING FAITHFULLY ORIGINAL BOOKS!
Author Brian Keith, writer and publisher of Listening Faithfully Blog offers to you his first e-book:
Listening Faithfully: The Sin Series (Nov 28, 2012)
Taken from the most successful and popular series of postings on Listening Faithfully Blog in 2009-10, then edited and repackaged for your reading enjoyment, Brian has put together a comprehensive chronicle of sin! With a massive amount of research and based upon Biblical Scripture each chapter reveals the shocking and revolutionary message of our Lord, while describing how each type of sin can destroy your life if left unchecked. It is a must read for-everyone to avoid the penalty of spiritual death.
Now available in the Listening Faithfully Store powered by Amazon.com! Start reading the Sin Series today in under a minute!
God Bless,
Brian Keith
Founder of Listening Faithfully
Listening Faithfully: The Sin Series (NOW ON SALE IN EBOOK, INSTANTLY DOWNLOADABLE FORMAT FOR $9.19)
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!
HELP PROTECT FATHERS RIGHTS! DONATE TODAY!
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.
HELP PROTECT FATHERS RIGHTS! DONATE TODAY!
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 fath
er, 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.”
HELP PROTECT FATHERS RIGHTS! DONATE TODAY!
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.
HELP PROTECT FATHERS RIGHTS! DONATE TODAY!
Reflection 3: Moral Deception
YouTube Video of this Reflection
21 “I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and no lie comes from the truth.” ~1 John 2:21
Deception by its very nature is not of the truth, nor is a lie no matter the size or reason it was told can be of the truth. To purposefully mislead another brother or sister in Christ is also not of the truth and therefore bringing forth deceit which by its very nature is not of the truth and thus can not be of God, but rather is from Satan the deceiver. The very practice of spreading falsehoods is unholy, to speak or testify in court against a son or daughter of Christ falsely is also unholy, for God does not lie, nor spread falsehoods in order to deceive, rather that is a sin manifest against God and originating from Satan the deceiver. All of these sins which come from Satan, passed down to man, have at its core an evil intent to make others believe in something that is false, to believe in error. For in the practice of such sin with such intent is an abomination before the eyes of God. Therefore, the intent to deceive is unholy as God does not lie, nor deceive his children, rather God is of the intent to shine the light of truth within your heart so that all of His children may know Him, know the truth, and thus be brought out of the darkness and forgiven their many sins. For this was the very reason Christ was sacrificed on the cross and man’s depravity and sin was paid in full. To willfully practice deceit in any form is also practicing moral deception, for this act against God, who is truth by His very nature, has placed, (his or her), very soul in jeopardy. I say to you now, that moral deception is evil, comes from evil, begets evil, and has no place in the hearts and minds of the children of God. For I also say unto you now, that if you can not attain all your hearts desires with the truth, then it is not for you to have and to posses. For if you lie and deceive to get what you want then you have surely stolen from another whom God had ordained to have it, and thus you have stolen from the very hands God. I say unto you also that by steeling from God you have placed your very soul into jeopardy, for it has been said by Christ Jesus;
“There is nothing covered up now that will not be exposed. Nothing is secret that will not be revealed. Every secret you’ve kept will become known. What you have whispered in hidden places will be shouted from the housetops.” ~Lost Gospel Q, Q45
The light of God is great, it is the light of absolute truth, it is the light which purifies by conviction and then by forgiveness. God is just, He alone is the giver and taker of life, and thus it has also been said of God:
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, you should respect the One who holds in his hands both your body and your soul. What does a sparrow cost? A few pennies? Yet not a single little bird is forgotten by God. And you? God’s care extends to every hair on your head. You are worth more than a flock of sparrows.”~Lost Gospel Q, Q46
According to the Gospel of Luke the corresponding passage to Q46 reads,
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” ~ Luke 12:4-5.
To lie, deceive, mislead, misinform, trick, spread falsehoods, make false statements, and to conceive such corrupt depravity is not of the truth, is not of God, and thus carries a heavy consequence; and those who practice it shall be convicted by God according to scripture:
16 “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” ~ Proverbs 6: 16-19
22 “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” ~Proverbs 12:22
God so created man kind in his own image, an thus within our hearts he wrote the laws of truth so that we shall know Him, and His laws by which we shall be judged by.
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time”, says the Lord. “I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” ~ Hebrews 10:16
The Lord our God cares for us so much he protects us from so much sin, and we have been instructed to never lie, to never deceive, never trick, or manipulate our way through out our life, but yet to some extent we do. We are all sinners, but what makes God’s children different is in the idea that we also know our God is a loving and forgiving God and that if we just repent, our sins will be forgiven and forgotten:
17 “Then he adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.” ~ Hebrews 10:17-18
But for those who lie, cheat, and steal, their punishment is found within their own lies which are proven as a lie for all to see, but kept hidden from the lair is His divine truth, for the liar God allows them to believe in their own lies and thus they become hopelessly lost within the wicked web which they themselves created. For the lair will claim foolishly they have no sin, and thus they have been proven to have greater sin than those who believe in the truth of God.
8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8
Moral deception comes in many flavors and is perpetrated for many reasons, chief among them are to our selfish motivations for personal gain. Selfishness in and of it’s self is a grave sin against God ALL Mighty. For when a mother is selfish she looks not for the best interest of her children, but rather for her own personal gain, and sometimes this can be masked cleverly with decisions which seem to be good, but have a thorny consequence for her children, or husband, or family. A selfish man sins gravely against God by not looking after his responsibilities and instead falling into sin by allowing his selfish wants for greatness and personal glory become all that he pursues leaving all other things to falter and go unchecked. In both of these grave sins their wants and personal desires outweighed all other things including God, whom has instructed us to never forget Him, and to never forsake Him. Once in this state of denial and self depravity each lie compounds upon itself as the deceiver makes grand attempts to cover up his or her actions. Pride then steps in as the big motivator which propels this life style of deceit as the grand illusion of getting away with each sin becomes greater, the more they fall into darkness. Finally with no hope of repenting this trap sin has set comes full circle as the liars have become so used to the situation that it has become habit. It is only then which God reveals to them their betrayal and moral deception. It is only when the liars have seen those they love be destroyed by the many selfish actions, perhaps it is in the revelation that because of them others also had followed and thus committed grievous sin. In some instances it is through the prism of the truth which shined upon their sin letting all others see them for who they are, not as what they had wanted others to see them as which breaks the evil spell. Loss of respect, confidence, and the consequence which alienates them from their friends, family, and world not to mention from God Himself can become the final straw which forces these sinners to repent.
Moral deceptio
n can only be overcome with love, kindness, respect, and an infinite amount of patience. We should always guard ourselves by using the weapons God has provided for us to use against lies and lairs:
6 “Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:6
For filling our hearts with the truth we are also filling our hearts with love, and thus living a righteous life before all to see. By setting the standard those we love and have become close to will follow, because God’s law is written upon their hearts also.
34 “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man bring good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” ~ Matthew 12:34-37
Amen
If you have been moved by this blog I urge you to continue to come back and become a subscriber. Please do not forget to also visit us at http://listeningfaithfully.org.
May God bless you and keep you all the days of your life. Amen
Please Donate to Listening Faithfully and help spread he words of God around the world.
Please help support Listening Faithfully!Give
Reflection 1: Spiritual Accountantcy
” 15 And he said unto them, ‘Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.‘” ~ Luke 16:15
Life is a journey of immense struggles pitted with many victories and defeats. It is a race to the finish line of judgement, once there many will have ran a good race but will have done it without moral conscience and will be damned to hell for all eternity. Many will have ran the same race but prevailed with great love, faith, and ethics, and will be allowed passage into the Kingdom of God. The difference between the two is incalculable if coming from the filter of modern life, celebrating our many luxuries and comforts afforded those with what is termed as the good life. But if viewed from the prism of our Lord and Savior then it becomes more personal, deeply ethical, riveted with countless moral guidelines that help to forge a sinner into a born again child of God. It is not an easy path, in fact it is filled with much sacrifice and with many painful defeats. For to choose to be a child of God is not for the faint of heart and in the end, within the very hour of our death, Jesus promises for the faithful that they shall never taste death.
“47 Verily, verily, I say to you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” ~John 6:47 
For many of us it is hard to put into place a moral life while being surrounded with such temptations which we find at our fingertips on a daily basis. It is hard to not give in to the world of excess and comfort with so many voices telling us we don’t have too. The prevailing belief advertisers drown us with daily is, “Life doesn’t have to be so hard” and “Why wait when you can have it now!” We have become a society of capitalistic carnivores devouring everything while ignoring the implications it places upon our life and our immortal soul. We make recluse justifications to explain away why we can, when the Holy Bible has clearly stated we should not. A world that places more value on things, property, and money, over relationships, love, honor, ethics, and that of our christian savior, who is the savior of every man, women, and child on planet Earth as we know it, is an abomination in the sight of God. There are so many sins, so many fruitless attempts at winning Gods favor while pleasing the flesh. People can be so awesomely good, and in the same breath find ways to be just as evil and destructive. When we look hard at who we have become, the choices we have made, the justifications for actions which caused countless others to suffer, it is then that our deeds will be told, despite the lies of our mortal legacies. For you can preach good all the days of your life, but in private do evil, it is in your heart and therefore God see’s the truth of your life. He can discern the proper judgement from the web of misleading, randomness and noise of sin which has permenantly blacked your heart.
“33 So therefore,
any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”~ Luke 14:33
Jesus warned against collecting wealth and then not sharing it but rather hording it. He warned against ignoring your own sins while calling to the carpet others sins. He warned against hypocrisy for in the eyes of God it is nothing more than “lip service”. Jesus warns against denying the poor food, clothes, shelter, and mercy. He warns against not raising your child up in the ammunition of the Lord thy God. For he also warned against excess of all kinds, depravity of all kinds, blasphemy of all kinds, and evil works of all kinds. Yet we do them daily, we ignore Him daily, and in doing so we mock Him daily!
“32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” ~ Matthew 10:32-33
Be on guard for those who refuse to speak the truth of God, who refuse to hear you speak the truth of God, be warned they are filled with Satan. There are people who get upset when they are shown their immoral ways and are convicted by the light of God, and by His son’s moral teachings and inwardly repress God, reviling against all righteousness, for they are filled with the spirit of Satan. Stand firm and do not waver from the light of God for instead bask within its glorious rays for it shall purify thy soul. Profess daily the miracles of God in your own life, for each day is a true miracle as it was not promised to you before you went to sleep the night before. Be on guard of those who would manipulate your words, the words of others, and the words of God to suit their lying ways, for such is the arch tool of Satan himself.
Walk away from profane, perverse, corrupt, immoral, and impure people as they will as soon suck you down with them than to see you happy and free in the light of God. For to disown God is a rejection of the miracle of ones own birth and life; for Satan does not hold the keys to these things; for only God can create life and can bring about death; for only God can destroy thy very soul. Be on guard of those who wish to systematically take from you all the things in your life which bring you happiness, for they have no conscience, no remorse, no ambivalence to using deceit to accomplish their goals. For these people are expert in their disguise and can make the most illogical thing sound logical, the most profane thing sound holy, and the most hurtful thing look to others as self-defense. For God has no tolerance for them and though in the moment they grasp victory, in reality they have only clutched defeat because what God meant for you and was stolen, he will give to you in abundance in Heaven, a reward they shall not reap for they chose a selfish and self serving path.
“21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have I not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you: depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” ~ Matthew 7:21-23
It is truly important to not just know which side of the tracks you are on, but to also profess it, teach it, embrace it, and above all love God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul; to do all things for God with all your strenght and might. It is simply not enough to say you love God to close family and friends then in private do wicked, but rather love God enough to always do good in public and private, for there should only be one message of your life, because there is only one God. Be sure to never take credit for the things which you have accomplished in your life for each accomplishment was first a gift from God, to do so would be to say you willed it to be so and that is a lie. For remember Moses who took credit for the miracle of the rock which sprang water; for the rod was from God, the power was from God, and the very words which Moses spoke to bring forth the water was from God, for such a sin he was denied entry into the promised land. Remember also King David who committed adultery and who God took from him the first born son in payment of the life he had stole from Bathsheba’s first husband Uriah the Hittite. Rather be like Christ who complied with the will of God even until the point of his own death.
“1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1
Spiritual accountantcy is the means which we review our own place with God, it is the act of asking where are we in our relationship to God. “Have I done things which God disapproves of, am I saved?”, is the question we need to ask daily and then we need to repent daily. Be assured God loves you, wants you, cares for you, and will never leave you if you never disown Him.
Amen.
If you have been moved by this blog I urge you to continue to come back and become a subscriber. Please do not forget to also visit us at http://listeningfaithfully.org.
May God bless you and keep you all the days of your life. Amen
Please Donate to Listening Faithfully and help spread he words of God around the world.
Please help support Listening Faithfully!Give
Special Post: Morality Goal #4
In every manner possible give to your family, friends, neighbors, relatives, work mates, and all whom you shall ever meet in this life a true and honest accounting of all things you have felt, said, and have done, and which has been done to you. “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.”(Exodus 23:1, NIV). For in living within this moral code God shall honor you, the angels in heaven will sing your praises, and there shall be no blemish upon you that which Satan shall be able to claim, or use you as an instrument of sin. Be truthful in all that you do and no secret shall be raised up when you least expect it to tear you down. Therefore, always live within the spotlight of truth and you shall be free.
Morality Goal # 3:
Who Am I…”not” to forgive others of their transgressions against me, when God himself has commanded it to be so? (Matthew 18:15-17). Even if those same people hold on to their perceived complaints about me. Who Am I…”NOT” TO FORGIVE? (Matthew 18:32-35) For as a christian I am commanded by God to love my enemies, to clothe them if they go naked, to feed them if they are wanting for food, to love them as I love God…for the same God loves them equally as He loves and forgives me. (John 13:34-35) In the light of this truth, Why should I “not” forgive? Who Am I to deny others what God Himself will not withhold?
Morality Goal 2
It should be woven into the fabric of your life, so as all your deeds reflect it, and that all your words proclaim it, that you should love and forgive everyone whom is your enemy as you do your friends. For grievances are earthly and have no place in your heart as all earthly things shall pass away, so too shall your grievance. But your love and forgiveness is forever as is God, from which your love comes.
Special Posting: Growing in your Relationship with God
I believe that God wants to communicate directly to each and every one of us here on earth. I believe that God brings about new methods for us to communicate with him and each other so that we can build our faith in him, through the collaboration with each other. I also believe that there are so many of you out there who have been asking for a way to communicate directly with me, so you can learn more and grow more in Christ Jesus. I think everyone knows I am first an educator and I love the idea of using technology to accomplish everything I have stated above for the sole purpose of bring people to God. Therefore, I am happy to announce that I have created a Facebook page so that everyone can collaborate, can send me personal messages, and so we all as one community in Christ can help each other lead a more Christ- centered and Christ-directed life. As we continue to grow spiritually I ask all of you who read weekly to use the new Listening Faithfully Facebook page as a way to help cleanse or purge your personal sins through confessing them as you seek help for those sins which have placed a massive burden upon your shoulders. In doing so you will claim the fullness of the Spirit, and I believe that you will experience a deep relationship as you walk closer to God that in short will enable you to grow in Christ. I hope everyone enjoys this new Facebook page and I am excited to be able to offer it to all of you first.
If you have troubles finding it on the Internet then please send me your email address and I will send you a personalized invite.
Send your emails to: listeningfaithfullyblog@gmail.com
Subject Header: Personal Invite to Listing Faithfully Facebook Account
God Bless,