HAPPY FRIDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the end of another workweek. I'm doing well, enjoying the sunshine. I'd like to wish all fathers a Happy Father's day, enjoy your day! I don’t think fathers are celebrated enough, and the ones that don’t take care of their children, are mentioned more than the ones that do. So I want us to celebrate all the good fathers on Sunday, and make them feel special. My big sister's birthday is Sunday the 21st, Happy birthday Ms. Monay! Also my co-worker David is celebrating a birthday Sunday as well. All of my sibling’s birthdays are in June, and I'm the only one in September. I like it that way, because I don't have to share a cake with anyone (lol). LaSheda's is the 22nd, and Demitrius is the 30th. Enjoy your weekend, I know there will be lots of barbecues and crabs, I pray the weather holds up. Whatever you do, do it for the Lord.
Today's scriptures are about Holiness. The word Holy is defined: Living according to a strict or highly moral religious or spiritual system; saintly. Being holy is a requirement to enter into the Kingdom of God. It's written in Acts 2:38-39: ...Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. In these verses Peter gives us the answer to becoming Holy. The cleansing of our sins makes us Holy, and the blood of Jesus Christ does that. Once we accept Him, we receive the Holy Spirit, who is in our hearts to help us live a Holy lifestyle. Being saved isn't enough, because we have standards to live by. None of us are perfect, that's true, but we must try our best to live that way. When we say that prayer asking Jesus to come into our lives, we're entering into a covenant with Him. God immediately starts to "clean up" our Spirit. Some people appear to be converted to righteousness overnight. They stop all of there old bad habits, and throw themselves in the church. Some are lead to start their own ministries or counseling services right away. Spiritual growth is different for everyone, and some backslide or stray from the path of righteousness because of their own poor self-image. We tend to be our worst critics and over analyze our mistakes or failures. Mistakes and failures are what we learn from, and build upon, and they build our character. God is responsible for our growth, and the only thing we need to do is seek Him. We should try our best to learn who He is, and what He expects from us. Learn how to listen to His small still voice, and take heed to the Holy Spirit's guidance. After all He said in Leviticus 19:2: ...Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy. He didn't say "you might be...” or "you could be if...” but He said Ye Shall! God doesn't lie. As long as you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He died on the cross for your sins, and He was resurrected on the third day, then you are a Holy child of God. He is working on you inside out, to ensure your actions and words will eventually reflect that fact. Always remember that you're representing Jesus Christ, and you must carry yourself as such. When people see you, they should be able to see the light in you, no matter what setting you're in. People who are filled with the Spirit have a certain glow about them, have you ever noticed that? Pastor Cooper, from my old church, had that glow, not only when he was in the pulpit preaching, but also anytime you saw Him. He always has this certain smile on His face that had peace written all over it. He has a certain meekness about him, which let you know that he is a Holy man. Do you think people could see that in you? If you saw a homeless person, what's your first thought? Do you think, "They are healthy they should just get a job” and walk pass them, or do you give them some change or something to eat? What do you think a Holy man would do, especially Jesus? If you're in the grocery store and someone bumps you with their cart, and doesn't say excuse me, how would you react? Would you argue with them and demand an apology, or do you brush it off and pray for them? A Holy person would do the ladder, however it's a growth process, so don't beat yourself up if you do the former, or react in a less than Holy way. We need to pray without ceasing, to promote our Spiritual growth. You'll notice that the more time you spend out of God's presence the more temptation you'll battle against, so you have to keep that communication open. Surround yourself with positive people, and positive influences such as Gospel music, and spiritual television programs. Speak highly of yourself, and your authority through Jesus Christ, and most importantly be a good role model for the people around you. You'd be surprised how much you could impact someone else’s life by walking in Holiness. Start off with the first and most important step, accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and then your transformation from sinner to Holiness will begin. My favorite verse today is: He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should he holy and without blame before him in love. (Ephesians 1:4)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455002&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7048039
I love you!
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