Discovering God’s Work in Ordinary Things | Ep 346

Hey there BCU Fam!

Because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • The Oxford dictionary defines the word “ordinary” as: not different or special or unexpected in any way; usual.
  • When we were together last time, I posted a podcast sermon about how God uses ordinary people.
  • This week, the Lord reminded me He also uses ordinary circumstances to accomplish His will.

KJV Scripture references

Proverbs 16:24

24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Philippians 2:13

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

BCUFam, in my mind, I was just going about my day in an ordinary way, not realizing that a “random” greeting would make that big of an impact. But God specializes in taking what seems to be small or insignificant things and making them into beautiful blessings. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for what you have taught us today. We want to thank You for using ordinary people and circumstances in order for us to be a blessing to someone else! For some of us, we feel like the things we do may not be special, but when we obey You, we treat people well, love them like You have instructed and deal with them as You have told us, that is special—-and our behavior pleases You! Jesus, please help us to be mindful of the people who are around us, conducting ourselves in a way that will draw people to You. We want to ensure we are planting and watering, and thanking You in advance for the increase, so that You will be pleased with us now, and when we see You in face to face. We thank and praise You for the opportunities You will give us to be a blessing to someone else. In Jesus name, we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, YouTube podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and many others podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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God uses ordinary people

Hey there BCU Fam!

Because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • I recently attended a service at Divine House of Deliverance where Elder Daniel Gray is the pastor.
  • The crux of Pastor’s outstanding message was how the Lord often chooses people who do not have money, status or connections.
  • About five minutes in, the Lord gave me presence of mind to record the message to share it with all of you!
  • Listen in and allow our amazing God to encourage your heart today!

KJV Scripture references

I Corinthians 1:23-31

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

BCUFam, for some of us, this was “new” news, and for others, this was a timely reminder! In any case, God chooses who He wants without any of the world’s “qualifications” relating to perfection, status or money. And furthermore, He continues to use us to be a blessing to the kingdom and His people regardless of our flaws and imperfections—-whatever is in us that is not like Jesus, He will fix it along the way. All He wants is a willing heart and vessel fit for His use! Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the encouraging words You have allowed our ears to hear today! Thank You for choosing us, not because of who we are, but in spite of who we are. We thank You for using and perfecting us as we surrender to You, so we can continue to be a blessing to the Body of Christ, a witness to all who interact with, and most of all, pleasing to You! In Jesus name, we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Short Series: | Hannah’s Testimony!

Here there BCU Family!

I typically record our content in an informal “podcast on the go” format, and other times, like today, it is in more of a “studio” format. In any case, you can access the podcast here, or click on the avatar below, as you refer to the show notes below for the highlights. We pray the content blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the podcast!

Podcast highlights:

  • When started our series, we met Hannah who wrestled with sorrow, ridicule and disappointment around her unfulfilled desire.
  • The last time we were together, we learned that once Hannah poured her heart out to the Lord, she received the confirmation that her prayer was answered.
  • As we wrap up our series, Hannah now gives praise and honor to the ONLY GOD who can answer our prayers!

KJV Scripture References

I Samuel 2:1-21;26

1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.

2 There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

6 The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

7 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.

9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.

12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.

13 And the priest’s custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home.

21 And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.

BCUFam, did Hannah’s powerful testimony bless you? She kept her word in offering her son back to the Lord, and in turn, Samuel became a powerful servant of God! Additionally, Hannah was blessed with THREE more sons and TWO daughters! Now, we may not have the same petition as Hannah—-maybe we need healing, deliverance, a job, or, perhaps we are standing in the gap for a loved one—–the same God who answered Hannah is the same God we serve today! God will take our impossible situations and turn them into our testimony! So be encouraged and reminded to take your requests to the Lord in prayer. He may not always answer the way we think He should, but He will let us know He heard us, settle our hearts about the matter, and will answer according to His will and way. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the word of God that has encouraged our hearts and minds. When we look at the story of Hannah and how You blessed her over and over and over again, and how she got the victory over the enemy, we say thank You, Jesus!

Please remember someone who needs a healing touch from You in their body, heart or mind. Please remember someone who is struggling with an addiction and needs to be set free, some of us need jobs, a financial miracle, a relationship reconciled, family member saved—-whatever it is, we look to You to assure us You have heard our cry and will answer one way, or another.

And while we wait for the answer, Jesus, we will continue to bless Your name and serve You with gladness! In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Short Series: From sad to glad | Hannah’s story

Here there BCU Family!

I typically record our content in an informal “podcast on the go” format, and other times, like today, it is in more of a “studio” format. In any case, you can access the podcast here, or click on the avatar below, as you refer to the show notes below for the highlights. We pray the content blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the podcast!

Podcast highlights:

  • When we were together last time, we started talking about Hannah from 1 Samuel 1.
  • Like many of us, Hannah wrestled with sorrow, ridicule and disappointment around her unfulfilled desire.
  • When faced with a situation, our natural inclination is to do all we can in our finite power.
  • Once Hannah poured her heart out to the Lord, she received the confirmation that her prayer was answered.
  • Many of us currently have impossible situations. Have we taken them to the Lord in prayer?

KJV Scripture References

I Samuel 1:10-28

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.

13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.

16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.

20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.

21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.

23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.

25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.

27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.

BCUFam, as much as Hannah’s husband loved and took good care of her, only the Lord could comfort and assure her. I LOVE that once Hannah prayed and got the confirmation from the Lord, her face and appetite changed from sad to glad! That is a message for us to take our situations to the Lord in prayer. He may not always answer the way we think He should, but He will let us know He heard us, settle our hearts about the matter, and will answer according to His will and way. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for Your enduring Word. Many of us have prayer requests we are waiting for an answer to—-regarding our jobs, family members, healing, spouses, finances, salvation, deliverance….Lord, You know what we are crying, fretting and petitioning You for, so we cast our cares on You because You care for us (I Peter 5:7). We look to You to assure us You have heard our cry and will answer one way, or another by and by.

In the meantime, we thank You, Jesus for renewing our strength, and taking us from a sad to a joyful heart as we continue to faithfully serve You. In Jesus name we pray and bless Your Name, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

BlenCouragesU1 Comment

Short Series: Introduction to Hannah

Here there BCU Family!

I typically record our content in an informal “podcast on the go” format, and other times, like today, it is in more of a “studio” format. In any case, you can access the podcast here, or click on the avatar below, as you refer to the show notes below for the highlights. We pray the content blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the podcast!

Podcast highlights:

  • Some time ago, I was tasked to teach Tuesday night Bible study for our church.
  • The topic the Lord gave me concerned Hannah, wife of Elkanah, who desired to be a mother.
  • Like many of us, Hannah wrestled with sorrow, ridicule and disappointment around her unfulfilled desire.
  • In our difficult times, crying out to the Lord is the only way to stabilize our hearts and minds as we await further instruction.

KJV Scripture References

I Samuel 1:1-10

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:

5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.

6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.

7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

BCUFam, one point that stood out to me was that for years, this heavy situation coupled with her nemesis, Peninnah provoked Hannah to the point of tears before she went to the Lord in prayer. Oh, I can recall many situations where I leaned to my own understanding prior to praying. But once we commit the situation to God and get His assurance, (and we will see in our next podcast), our countenance and/or circumstances change. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for reminding us to take every situation, circumstance, enemy, provocation, stress and tear to YOU in prayer. Psalm 37:23 reminds us that the steps of the righteous are ordered by You, so while what we are experiencing is not a surprise to You, we are relying on You for strength, guidance, and to remove the bitterness of soul that many of us are currently facing. Thank You for hearing our cry and the assurance that You are with us in our time of uncertainty, as we continue to praise and thank Your Holy name, in Jesus name we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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