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Woman, do you ever feel like a dead tree, even though you know God has filled you with living water and knowledge/wisdom that needs to be shared? Well, be encouraged. Do what's necessary to go from feeling like a dead tree to BEing/sharing the fruitful, flowering tree that God has made you and wants to contiue to make you.
Isaiah 61"For the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me;.." https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/Isa.61 Products: www.etsy.com/shop/becmin |
BLOGS 2024 Jan- Start Right. Foundations Matter. Gnats and Camels. A Rat. Punishment? Dreams NOW I KNOW WHY! Right, Wrong or Both? Leave Joe Alone. What Would You Title This? Feb - Peebles Hurt! The Lion of the Tribe of Judah Within Us The Road Keep Your Teeth Where Does It Come From? Stuff I Have To Work On Peebles Hurt! Get Them Out. Lion of the Tribe of Judah Dummy Down Why Aren't You Happy? March - Women Hosea...To Be Continued We Don't Have to Prop Up God 2023/2024 Last and First Dreams of 2023/24. Dreams & Vascillating on How I Feel About the Issues. 2023 Jan - Job's Wife Feb - Cast Away Feb - Don't! Feb - Stand May - 'Pay" Yourself June - For By One Man's Obedience June - Mary Sat. Jesus Let Her. July - TPM It's Not Dead (aired 2006) July - MOVE! (2002) July - In The Presence of My Enemies August - Broken. Humble. Stewardship of Your Gift. Don't Be A Haman. Sept - Who's Doing The Talking? October - Do We Really Want An Apology? October - Two Faces. October- Come Here October- God Can Make Your Situation So Unique October- It's Not A Miracle, We Just Decided... November - Move To The Front Of The Line November - Glad to Have Nerves November - Prayer December - We've Discussed This Before. December - Healed! December - My Testimony. The End. 2022 July - Boundaries 2021 June - Resumes' 2020 Jan - Bits N Pieces 2018 Nov - Links to TPM Wearables for purchase. Oct - Mistaken for the side piece. July - I Cor 7:34 - An Observation, not a Command. May - Women, we change the atmosphere. March - Women's History: Black Women Preachers; No More Smallin' Up of Me; Our Greatest Fear. February - Valentines...daily! January - Random thoughts. 2017 Dec - Christmas...don't get too deep. Nov - Happy Thanksgiving! October - That's not worship. August - The devil is a liar! July - Where do you f-i-t? Be Consistent. June - "No" instead of "Go". April - Let them "kill" you. March -Woman, You are good enough. February - What ministry is calling you? January - Woman, Go! 2016 November - Don't be a Jonah. October - It's Time for a new season. September - Youth, here is something you can conquer. Aug - July - Passive/Aggressive Leaders. June - It's hard to leave. June - YOU ARE STILL RESPONSIBLE. (aka How Women Might Miss God.) May - Woman, why are you still there? April - Passive/Aggressive people. March - God will give you His own special pulpit Feb - Rejection can be a blessing. January - Snakes in your life. 2010 Inclusion or Not? Which one are you? 2000 August - Move!/Sometimes You Gotta Leave Home To Be Blessed 1996 January - So what? August - But I Wrought For My Names Sake |
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[[Off the cuff. I'll clean it up soon.]]
(In a sermon, TDJ said something like we try to live up to our label. He was referencing the disciples replacing Judas because it was supposed to be TWELVE.) That stuck with me. When I worried, I felt ridiculous. God and me know each other. He's always come through. When I didn't worry, I was told I needed to be working on something 'visible' to others.) Actually, I'm always working on something...since 1985. Those who know, know and receive or help). Yesterday, God spoke this to me. We don't have to prop up God. If He's sadi nothing, He's said nothing. He has spoken when we have and when we haven't actively listented for him. He will speak when He is ready. In time. Timing. Season. Do not make up something to say God said it in an effort to cover for God's silence. God may wait quite a while to 'replace' the last blessing. God may not 'replace' the last blessing: (last job for another job; gone spouse for new spouse; child who is no longer with another child; house with a new house.) Wait. Don't make stuff up. Don't force a new blessing because everyone else is watching you for the 'next thing'. Wait. Dispel accusations of 'you didn't' against you: (you weren't listening; you didn't ask enough; you didn't ask right; you don't care enough.) Wait.
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I've heard Christians proclaim that the devil gives blessings, too. I've heard that for years! I've always had some issues with that. Some Christians can be jealous of the blessings and riches of supposed non-Christians. First, Black Christians can't assume White financially rich people are not Christians. Second, who has what is generally not anybody's business! Third, Old Testament leaders who were rich and harrassed Israel, were allowed by God to be rich and to harrass Israel. Fourth, Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and was lying. Fifth, Hosea 2 says, the prostitute/Israel did not know God gave her corn, wine, oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, that she prepared for Baal/idols. SO, the prostitute/Israel had everything needed for life plus some, although they acted wicked, lived foul and worshipped idols. Satan did not give them all that. God did and they just didn't realize or didn't acknowledge God for it, but chose to give idols credit for their blessings.
Hosea 5 - Eohraim and Isreal were determined to be prostitutes - spiritual whores. God crushed them. They saw their wounds and ran to the King of Assyria, hoping for healing, instead of running to back to God and repenting for choosing their own kings and for worshipping the idols. We humans tend to do the same. We go our own way, choose our own 'kings' (Hosea 8) such as people we choose to acquaint ourselves with who are not the ones we need to befriend or allow to influence us), get wounded, then run to the world for healing (lies, clothes, money, food, sex, cars, jewelry, friends of the devil, etc) hoping to be healed instead of running back to God who will heal us from our own self-destruction AND from the wounds He inflicted on or allowed on us to get us to return to Him. ********************************************************************************* *(2.25.2024 Great Sunday School question from my Teacher's Discussion Sheet) - Why do you think people sometimes blame God for their problems? I believe there are three reasons: #1 - God ordains problems - JOB (ordain means suggest, propose, encourage, order or decree); #2 - God allows problems - ADAM/EVE (allow means permit, fail to restrain); #3 - God orchestrates problems - NOAH's ARK (orchestrate means arrange, direct the elements of) We use the word 'blame' in an accusatory way, but God's purpose is that all things work together for our good, for those who are called according to God's purpose. Listen, one thing they can't say to our faces, and to others who know what they do, is that we don't know anything.
What do you think? Image of TPM may have typos. It is a draft written before the actual recording.
Surely, at some point in the future, someone will 'correct' tongue for teeth. When the contradiction/'correction' comes, I'll link the video (because I'm sure they will be on video). God told me to use teeth and teeth is what I used. Freepik.com/macrovector Buy wearables on www.etsy.com/shop/becmin If one can turn 'all that' upside down, then all that was weak to begin with OR those who are a part of all that are awfully dramatic about the whole situation OR using that one as a scapegoat OR using that one as a distraction to draw attention away from the real issues they do not want to sit down, face-to-face, discuss, be transparent about and hashout until there is a confession made, apologies given and solution agreed upon.
I've heard Christians proclaim that the devil gives blessings, too. I've heard that for years! I've always had some issues with that. Some Christians can be jealous of the blessings and riches of supposed non-Christians. First, Black Christians can't assume White financially rich people are not Christians. Second, who has what is generally not anybody's business! Third, Old Testament leaders who were rich and harrassed Israel, were allowed by God to be rich and to harrass Israel. Fourth, Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and was lying. Fifth, Hosea 2 says, the prostitute/Israel did not know God gave her corn, wine, oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, that she prepared for Baal/idols. SO, the prostitute/Israel had everything needed for life plus some, although they acted wicked, lived foul and worshipped idols. Satan did not give them all that. God did and they just didn't realize or didn't acknowledge God for it, but chose to give idols credit for their blessings. Someone once pointed out that cloistered nuns are not really trusting God to keep them in the world if they seclude themselves from the world. As young folk would say these days, where's the lie? I'm not against nuns. I've LOVE the idea of the Nun's life since Young Adulthood simply because I love the idea of always, always - every day, all the time - being in a space, building, campus related to spirituality. Yet, if one keeps him or herself from the world or non-Christians, except when lording over them through leadership or charity ventures, then where's the faith that God will keep them saved and Holy while in/moving about the world? Where's the faith? It's possible to avoid family functions, jobs and coworkers in the REAL world, gatherings with non-Christian groups, dating, and attending secular places of entertainment, BUT why? We know the answer is not to not want to be tainted by non-Christians. Jesus wasn't stuck up about that, so why should Christians be? How does one claim a great faith that God is a keeper, Counselor, etc, if they keep themselves away from everyone and anyone that might not be live right 24/7? Plus, they can't get away from the selves, from their own flesh, from the devil going after them even if they put themselves in a bubble of Christianity. The simple determination of who is or isn't saved enough for you to be around surely borders on judging fellow humans. (Original short version.)
The other day, I read a quote (and a song) that suggested that I should remove the pebble from my shoe rather than leaving it there and learning to limp 'comfortably'. As I thought on the quote, I was reminded that God said we are more than conquerors. What represents the pebble in a shoe? A bill, job, relationship, or material possession? NO matter what we do, the pebble causes pain and a limp. Let's allow God to have that pebbleand heal us completely, deliver us totally and set us free from indeed from the limp, so we can run our race. We have the Lion of the Tribe of Judah within us.
There have been times when I/you/we have entered a room, and someone has gone into ...mode because they see the Lion. ......................................... Read the full Blog post on my personal FB page. Rebecca Crowder Clark. Send a Friends Request. ....................................... It's a compliment and also a 'confession' that they recognize The Lion and that they don't have The Lion within. For women who believe - freely or forced - that their only role in the Kingdom is to obey their husband (or Father or Leader until they get married): How do the women interact in worship service? Do they listen? Do they try to learn what’s taught or preached? Do they study for themselves? Why do any of that when their salvation boils down to “Just follow your husband and you’ll make it to Heaven?" Why try? Why learn? Why progress beyond studying only to be more obedient to the man? Schools – Black, White, diverse – are big on teaching and leading kids to be BIG, powerful, leaders, achievers. How do female students fit that teaching in with their religious community that models that they are less-than in God’s eye and only valuable to God if they are obeying their man? How do they balance going into the workforce as leaders then going home and acting like their dumb to please the man and supposedly fulfill God's rule for them? Some girls find that making achievements in education (elementary to post graduate) useless if they'll have to spend their private home and spiritual life dummying down? Wjy bother rising in the workforce just to return home dsily to bow down and play dumb? As well, consider the women who are run by their spouse and their spouse allows other men to run them, too. That woman is bossed around and has her life tasks aasigned to her by her husband and any other man he choses - parent, friend, leader, neighbors ("Oh, just call my wife anytime. She'll help out. She'll volunteer.") without regard to her needs and desires. She IS one MISERABLE woman no matter how much she smiles. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ztD8fhbuB92BRmGe/?mibextid=oFDknk It is not the male's calling to punish the women because of what Eve did. Image by <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/people-carrying-burden-concept_36029269.htm#query=burdened&position=37&from_view=search&track=sph&uuid=37c61175-18f9-4780-a14b-f57777f758c4">Freepik</a> www.etsy.com/shop/becmin Note: I thought I'd done this one before. I know I have. I don't know where? Radio? Facebook? Twitter? I don't remember. Here it goes again. Read. Learn.
If you don't start a relationship right and with honesty, it may never 'get right'. I knew an adult who was really interested in someone much younger, which was not a big deal, because they both were adults. Apparently, he was feeling uncomfortable, which I guess is a good thing. Some are not uncomfortable in a relationsihp with a 10 year age gap. The person presented themself as a potential business partner and trainer of the person he was intersted in. (It was obvious to me that one liked the other but I didn't speak of it to either party. ) This "relationship' dragged out for years. It never evolved into what he wanted to begin with because he wasn't brave enough to be honest. The 'friendship' eventually dissolved in a hurtful way to the other party. Who's to says the relationship would have blossomed had the initiating partner been honest and just asked the other person out? Whether it worked out or not, it would have been an honest foundation to build on or to decide how to not build on it as in be friends, enemies, or nothing at all. Both limped their separate ways uncomfortable in the smallest of interactions because they didn't start right and even ending it all still reeks of uncomfortableness. I don't see them as often as I would like. Both are great people. Both are successful in their own right, but have an awkwardness that could have been avoided had they began on the right foundation of honesty. (On the flip side, I've dealt with people who approached me - nice or nasty - because they thought I was one or two decades younger than I was and they had the notion to reign over me or boss me around or condescend to me. Depending on the length of our interactions, many times when I realized someone thought I was younger, I had to determine when and how to tell them my age. When I did, in some instances people either got angry because they felt deceived although THEY ASSUMED my age and their superiority over me, apologetic because they had a clean heart and intentions, or just deserted me in the process because they couldn't switch from treating me as being in some way 'beneath' them to treating me like an equal or older-than-them (lol) adult. (I don't have those issues now that I'm in decade 6. ) The point is: Start with honesty if it's a potential love relationship and without arrogance, condescencion, or a superiority complex if it is any other kind of potential relationship/partnership and don't ASSUME anything. <ahref="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/heavy-machines-construction-workers-working-building_9282739.htm#query=foundation&position=32&from_view=search&track=sph&uuid=17151968-9df2-4103-ae0e-83f5105692ab">Image by wirestock</a> on Freepik www.etsy.com/shop/becmin https://www.gotquestions.org/strain-gnat-swallow-camel.html
This proverb is spoken by Jesus in Matthew 23:24. On His last trip to Jerusalem, Jesus spoke at length about life under the oppressive reign of the Pharisees. The religious leaders tested Him continually “and plotted how to entangle him in his words” (Matthew 22:15). In Matthew 23, Jesus pronounced seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees, accusing them of hypocrisy, laying heavy burdens on the people, exalting themselves, and preventing people from entering God’s kingdom. He was especially harsh in His assessment of their strict adherence to the laws of tithing while they “neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). He concludes by saying, “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel” (verse 24). The KJV translates the first part of the proverb as “strain at a gnat.” That wording gives the impression of choking while trying to swallow the gnat while easily gulping down the camel. But the better translation is “strain out a gnat.” The Greek word refers to straining water through a cloth or sieve to remove impurities. The GNT translates it this way: “You strain a fly out of your drink, but swallow a camel!” The Jews had a law that forbade eating any flying insects that did not have jointed legs for hopping (Leviticus 11:20–23), and in this they were strictly observant. Because water could have insects and insect larvae in it, pious Jews were careful to strain the water through a cloth before drinking it. They did not want to accidentally ingest an unclean insect and thus violate the law. Jesus mentions this practice in His proverb and then contrasts it with a hyperbolic picture of gulping down a camel. In this way, Jesus accused them of taking great pains (straining out gnats) to avoid offence in minor things of little importance, while tolerating or committing great sins (swallowing camels) such as deceit, oppression, and lust. Christ’s fifth woe relates to the same type of hypocrisy (Matthew 23:25–26). All Jewish sects agreed on the need to wash their dishes in order to maintain their ceremonial cleanness, but Jesus pointed out that it is senseless to clean the outside of a cup and leave the inside filthy. But this is exactly what the actions of the Jewish leaders achieved. They focused on outward behavior but neglected the most important commands—loving God and one another. They strained at a gnat, mistakenly believing that external conformity to the law was enough, while not seeing that the evil in their hearts was a camel-sized problem. The Pharisees were scrupulous in counting out their mint leaves and tithing their “dill and cumin” (verse 23), but their hearts were full of envy, pride, greed, and malice. They strained at the gnat of ceremony, but they ignored the camel of sin in their hearts. www.etsy.com/shop/becmin Illustrations on freepik.com Today's Dream: 1 was seated after an event ended. I looked down and there was a rat at my right foot looking up at me. The rat's face was the face of the person who was assigned to be the rat. We have our definitions of a snake and a rat. We think we know who they are until God shows us they're someone we never would have imagined. Personally, I think a snake can be avoided more easily than a rat. A snake will be right near us and we won't notice until it shows itself. A snake of a person intending to bite you must show themselves in order to do so. A rat watches you from a hidden place, then runs back and tells information like what direction you walked in, how long it took you to get from point A to point B, where you stopped between going from point A to point B, what you wore, who you stopped to talk to, etc - useless information to appease the human that assigned the rat to rat on you. A rat is someone who was for you that your enemy decided to try to turn against you by pretending you are a threat and need to be watched. Don't ever be anyone's rat! pic by freeimages.com TPM product site: www.etsy.com/shop/becmin
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