Obedience is a Requirement

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:

  • When one of the kiddos was younger, he informed me that there were things we HAVE to do, even if we don’t WANT to.
  • I recall a time where someone requested me to take care of a task their way, rather than my way.
  • Naturally, my way was “better”, and I was prepared to do things the way I wanted to. Period! 😆
  • The Lord spoke to me about the situation, so I’d like to share that conversation with you.

KJV Scripture references

I Kings 13:1-26

And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.

3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lordhath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.

4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.

5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.

7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.

8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:

9 For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.

11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.

13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,

14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.

15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.

16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:

17 For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.

18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.

19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lordcame unto the prophet that brought him back:

21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,

22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.

BCUFam, this was a sobering WORD! While we are grateful for living in the dispensation of grace, with the help of the Lord, we still need to follow what He tells us to do. Because Jesus is a Good Father, He would never misguide us, so this is where we have to trust that God knows what is best. Now, in our zeal to get things done right away, coupled with our finite and limited capacity to see ahead, we can easily lean to our own understanding. Our understanding is faulty, short-sighted and will not ever be more wise than the Lord’s way of doing things. In fact, His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). So the wisest choice is to follow the Lord’s leading, so we will always get His results. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the Word that has corrected us today! We bless Your name and thank You for loving us enough to remind us that we need to be obedient in every area of our lives. Lord, as we come before You, we thank You for helping us follow Proverbs 3:5-6, that admonishes us to trust in You with all of our heart, lean not to our own understanding, and that we acknowledge You in all of our ways, so that our paths will be directed. By doing things Your way, the outcome will be perfect, because You, Jesus are perfect. Please continue to bless and keep us, and we will continue to give You all the praise and glory! 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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Where Is Your Faith In God?

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 Lord has been sending encouraging words a bit differently this month!
  • Last time, we had a sermon excerpt from Pastor Brian Robinson on following Jesus wholeheartedly.
  • This week, my “baby” brother, Pastor Garry J. Anderson is bringing us a word on these turbulent times and faith.
  • Listen in and allow our amazing God to encourage your heart today!

KJV Scripture references

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Pastor Garry J. Anderson

BCUFam, this was a WORD! With all this uncertainty, turbulence, policy changes, disasters, food shortages and other situations happening, from the natural eye, these ARE scary, faith-testing times! We also know that because God tells us without faith, it is impossible to please Him, He rewards those who diligently seek Him, AND the size of our faith only needs to be the size of a grain of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20) we can continue to put our trust the the Author and Finisher of our faith to take care of His people. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You, for the Word that has corrected, challenged, convicted, taught and has lifted us up! We pray that as we go through these turbulent times, that we will continue to put our faith and trust in You Jesus, who knows everything, rather than people who have limited knowledge. We thank You for meeting all of our needs, and keeping our hearts and minds stayed on You. For those who may not be saved, we thank You Jesus, for speaking to someone’s heart to repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and You filling them with the gift of Holy Ghost, with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues as outline in Acts chapters 1 and 2.

We thank You for the privilege and honor of serving and representing You in these end times, Jesus! Please continue to help us to be faithful servants, and we will continue to give You all the praise and glory! 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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Faithful Servants and Our Faithful God

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:

  • Last month, we attended service at where Pastor Brian Robinson was asked to deliver the message.
  • Thankfully, the Lord gave me presence of mind to record part of the sermon to share it with all of you.
  • Among other things, this portion of the message speaks about examples of servanthood and ensuring we follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
  • Listen in and allow our amazing God to encourage your heart today!

KJV Scripture references

Luke 10:38-42

38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

Genesis 22:1-19

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

Pastor Brian Robinson, Sr.

BCUFam, as you can tell, the congregation was stirred up by the Word of God, and God gets the glory for it all! With all that was said during the message, what stood out to me, is that we want to hold on to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—-even in and especially in trying times. If we stay faithful and committed to doing what God says, we will get perfect results, because we serve a perfect God. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You, for the Word of God coming from the man of God. Our prayer is that we want to be faithful to, and walk up right before You, as Mary and Abraham demonstrated in the text. With Your help, we want to clearly hear Your voice and follow Your directions right down to the letter, so You will be glorified in our lives.

We thank You for all You have done for us, all You have brought us through, and the privilege and honor of serving You, and Your people in full capacity. Please continue to help us to be faithful servants, and we will continue to give You all the praise and glory! 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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Room A203: A Story of Love, Friendship & Sisterhood🌷🌷

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this special presentation, please tune into the video recording, and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages your heart today!

Podcast highlights:

  • This is a special conversation about an amazing individual in the person of, Lydia “Tulip Petal” Edwards.
  • We met years ago and became fast friends and sisters in the Lord, sharing conversations of everything and nothing.
  • In this impromptu video post, among other things, I highlight a stretch assignment she gave me, and how that changed my life.

KJV Scripture references:

Psalm 143

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

You know, BCUFam, I had no idea that Psalm would minister to Lydia and the BCUFam the way it did! Many of us have experienced feeling overwhelmed and desolate—-and that is NORMAL! What David did in that Psalm was to teach us feel our feelings, and to take them to the Lord, who is the ONLY one who can comfort, strengthen and advise us on our next move—–even if it’s just to trust that He knows what He is doing. And that’s what Sister Tulip Petal did.

BCUFam, Lydia passed away late last week. My Tulip Petal was beautiful flower who wasn’t called to speak on a program, did not have a dedicated platform to teach from, or a mass following, but quietly ministered in an impactful way to all the people the Lord assigned to her. I am blessed and enriched to have had her in my life for the time God allowed, and not one moment squandered. May God bless us to all be the same way about our relationships. The people in our lives are assignments from the Lord, and we want to be sure we are about our Father’s business in every interaction. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father in the Name of Jesus, as we come before You today, our hearts are heavy for the loss of our sister, yet light because she was saved, full of the Holy Ghost, and is resting without any tubes, medication or pain. And Jesus, with Your help, when we see You for the first time, we will see Lydia again, as Heaven is our final destination. Please bless and comfort all who were connected with this wonderful woman of God.

We ask You, Lord to help us be mindful of and loving in all of our interactions, and that You bless us to be an excellent witness to all around us, so that people may ask, “what must I do to be saved?” We thank You answering our petitions and for all things, 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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How God Protects: A Personal Testimony

Hey there BCU Fam!

We are so glad you are here! 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 rebroadcast blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the podcast!

Podcast highlights:

  • A bit back, during Bible study, Pastor brought up how God is a Protector.
  • He went on to say that the Lord can use people to help protect us from danger.
  • As pondered on the supporting Scriptures Pastor had us to read, I was reminded of a particular time the Lord protected my daughter’s and my life.
  • It’s been a LONG time since I told that testimony, so I am sharing it today.

Scripture references

Acts 9:17-25

17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?

22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:

24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

Acts 23:19-24

19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?

20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly.

21 But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.

22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.

23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;

24 And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

Lamentations 3:22-23

22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

BCU Fam, this happened in my “B.C.” (before Christ) days, so God had EVERY right to take my life, but He saw fit to spare and save me and that’s something to praise God for!!!!! AND I am believing Him to save my daughter and her family as well. He is ABLE!!! If you are saved according to Acts 2:38 (repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus, and filled with the Holy Ghost) then hold on to Jesus and DO NOT let go. You may have been or our going through things–God has been good to you!!! If you are not saved or are not sure, reach out to me here and let’s talk about how to get saved. Once you’ve had a touch from Jesus, you’ll never be the same again! I am a witness!

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 YouTube8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple 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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