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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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:

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 podcastsGoogle 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

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 podcastsGoogle 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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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

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 podcastsGoogle 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

Biblical Confrontation: Navigating Offenses According to God’s Word

Here there BCU Family!

I typically record our content in an informal “podcast on the go” format. Many times, the Lord gives me subject matter as I am driving or waiting, so I record on the spot! 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 podcast blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the podcast!

Podcast highlights:

  • Effective communication and confrontation is an essential part of our walk with Christ.
  • Confrontation is biblical—but it has to be done according to God’s directions.
  • The Lord presented me with a situation where I had to have a difficult conversation with a person of authority.
  • God has a way of things working out—if we do things His way, even when our flesh thinks it knows better.

KJV Scripture References

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Matthew 18:7;15-17

7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

James 3:2

 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

Matthew 5:23-24

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.


BCUFam, it’s important for us to follow God’s directions when it comes to offenses. What I am seeing among some of the people of God is speculation, accusations, and cancellations—-before a conversation is had with the accused. Unaddressed offenses often turn into bitterness, anger, wrath, clamor and evil speaking against the offender. While we do not minimize the hurt the person caused (which is why we go to them in the first place), the Word also says to be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you (See Ephesians 4:31-32). When God puts it that way, it’s time to let these offenses GO! Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, as always, we thank You for what You have spoken to our hearts. Jesus, please help us to prayerfully examine our hearts for any bitterness, lack of forgiveness, anger or distance in between us and the people in our lives. We pray that hurt feelings, broken hearts and tattered relationships will be healed, and that you will help us to forgive others like You have forgiven us.

Help us to approach anyone we need to according to the directions You have outlined, without fear or worry about the outcome. If our brother/sister chooses to receive us and be reconciled, we thank You, Jesus and if they do not, we STILL say thank You, Jesus knowing we followed Your will and way, and we can stand before You in peace.

Going forward, Jesus, we ask that You help us to manage all the relationships and interactions we have with people so that You are honored and glorified! It is in the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, and thank You, 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, 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

Avoiding Careless Mistakes

Here there BCU Family!

I typically record our content in an informal “podcast on the go” format. Many times, the Lord gives me subject matter as I am driving or waiting, so I record on the spot! 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:

  • In school, tests are a regular part of the landscape–there was NO way around them.
  • In my day, it was a “badge of honor” to be among the kids who finished first.
  • That honor was sometimes “stripped” as the work was riddled with some avoidable or careless mistakes.
  • The Lord wants us to check over our work to ensure we have no glaring errors.

KJV Scripture References

Matthew 24:45-51

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

John 9:4

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Ephesians 5:27

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Romans 14:12

12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Isaiah 58:8-9

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.


BCUFam, I have to confess that there are some hard assignments in this life——and they can have us rushing through our work to get it done. But how did get get it done? Did we respond in the right spirit? Was the outside sweet and the inside sour? Did we skip the assignment because we have not forgiven the person? The list goes on, so while we are here and can, let’s ask the Lord what “careless mistakes” we made, what assignments (over)/due, and the wisdom, knowledge and strength to get them done, so we can hear, “well done, thou good and faithful servant…..Enter into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:23). Amen? Amen! Let’s pray about it.

Father, in the name of Jesus, we bless and praise Your name! We magnify You, Lord, because You are worthy of the praise, honor and glory!

We thank You, Lord for the opportunity and the reminder for us make sure to go over all of our work while it is daytime. Please help us to come to You honestly and to review all you have tasked us with—the families, finances, people, gifts, talents, and everything You have given us to steward over, Lord. We may not always have done things the way You have instructed us, Lord, so we repent and ask Your forgiveness. Please help us to be aware and cognizant of our tasks, Jesus, and help us not to do things with an attitude, or out of obligation, but in service to You, so that all our interactions are to YOUR glory, honor and praise.

We thank You for blessing us to be ready to see You in peace. With Your help, Jesus, we will continue to serve You as we are serving others, and we will continue to bless and praise Your holy name! It is in the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, and thank You, 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, 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