Same Instructions, Different Day.

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, 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:

  • A couple of years ago, I posted a podcast about how a thoughtless customer jumped front of me in line, and how the Lord instructed me to handle the offense.
  • Recently, I went to the same service provider for routine maintenance, and the SAME thing happened!
  • What lesson did the Lord want to teach me this time?

Scripture references:

James 1:19-20

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Ecclesiastes 3:1;7

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

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak

Ephesians 4:15;26

 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

   Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Proverbs 15:1

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

Romans 12:19

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

BCUFam, I had two opportunities to confront this person, but did not get the release to do so. Because grievous words stir up anger, my timing and current tone may have been the match that lit the fuse. Rather, I took things to the Lord in prayer and left them there. If God wants us to have a challenging conversation with someone, He will arrange the timing, wording and circumstances where things will turn out perfectly, because we serve a perfect God. Also, the Lord reminded me to pray for her according to Matthew 5:44-49. That should have been one of the first things I did, but with the help of the Lord, I’ll remember for next time. Aren’t we thankful for such a loving and forgiving God? Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Eternal God and Heavenly Savior, as we come before You in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the lesson and reminder to practice the pause before going into reaction mode. So many times, we have flown off the handle, done or said things that did not always reflect You, Lord and for that, we ask your forgiveness. And please help us, to recall Your words Jesus, as we interact with people and situations that may be challenging. We know that we can do all things through You that strengthens us! We thank You for your continued patience with us, as You mold us to become more like You, Lord. 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 for our Thursday Night Bible Study––-we are LIVE on Facebook, at 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform BCU is available on. Some of those platforms are Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

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

Love,

BCU

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Walking in the Spirit…

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, 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:

  • Recently, I posted about an incident about my experience in a local car shop.
  • During the situation, I was infuriated and really wanted to confront this individual about their thoughtless, rude behavior.
  • The Lord let me know that speaking at that time would have resulted in me moving in the flesh versus The Spirit.
  • As I was ruminating over what happened days later, the Lord let me know what would have happened, had I ignored His warning.

Scripture references:

James 1:19-20

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Matthew 5:7

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Galatians 5:19-25

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Romans 12:19

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

BCUFam, Ecclesiastes 3:7 tells us there us a time and season to everything in our lives—-—specifically a time to keep silence and a time to speak. Interestingly enough, “keep silent” is listed first. Even when we are right, we have to check with the Lord to see if we should speak. In this case the answer was “no”, and here is why.

Matthew 24:12 reminds us that in the last days, because iniquity shall abound, the love of many would wax cold. Cold love is a selfish, self-gratifying, I-do-what-I feel-like spirit that does not think through the consequences and after effects of their decision making. The least little incident is an invitation to get immediate retribution by any means necessary.

The Lord CLEARLY let me know my fleshly response would have been a trigger for something sinister to happen and that reaction would have negatively effected everyone in the shop that day, as well as their families. As much as I wanted to be avenged, I certainly would not have wanted to be responsible for anyone getting hurt or killed, over such an important, yet minor offense.

And on top of it, what if things had quickly escalated where I did not have time to repent, and I lost my life? I likely would have missed Heaven——-all over a place in line. We have to ask ourselves if what we are thinking, saying, or doing will help or hinder us from seeing Jesus in peace. When we think about it that way, let’s opt to walk in the Spirit with the help of the Lord. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Eternal God and Savior we come before you in the Name of Jesus, thanking You for the reminder to walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh. Walking the way You instruct us to in Galatians 5 may not always be popular or feel good, but we bring our thoughts, flesh and actions under subjection to you, Jesus, so we are not pleasing people or ourselves, but You and You alone.

Bless us to remember that you are recording our thoughts, deeds, actions and our interactions——and we will one day have to give an account for all that we have done in this life. We desire that our account be in the positive so that You can welcome us into the Kingdom of Heaven and not miss out because we want to do things our way. Thank You for this timely reminder as You continue to keep and strengthen us, as we give Your name the praise, glory and honor that belongs 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 for our Thursday Night Bible Study––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform BCU is available on. Some of those platforms are Amazon Music, AnchorFm, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify,  Stitcher Radio , and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

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

Love,

BCU

BlenCouragesU3 Comments

And she cut right in front of us…

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, 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:

  • Recently, I needed to take my car to a local shop for servicing.
  • I intentionally arrived early to be among the first to arrive. I was the fourth person in line.
  • When the shop opened, one of the patrons behind us made her way to the counter ahead of two of us who were waiting.
  • Understandably, I was infuriated and really wanted to confront this individual about their thoughtless, rude behavior.
  • The Lord slowed me down and reminded me of what His Word said about love, patience, our thoughts, and how to treat those who mistreat us.

Scripture references:

James 1:19-20

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Matthew 5:7

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Matthew 5:44-49

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Romans 12:19

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

BCUFam, there is a time and a place to speak, and my flesh rose up ready—-like Pillsbury dough! Hmm–hmmm!😆 Before I spoke, the Lord patiently spoke to my agitated heart. He let me know that I even though I was right, I did not know the person, what they were capable of, what was in her bag, and that I was risking a situation that could escalate out of control—-if I spoke in that moment. Because the Lord had all those answers, I took that as a warning, and left her in His capable hands.

In retrospect, and all glory to God, by not confronting her in anger, I was able to keep my witness for Christ, (I did have my BCU shirt on that had Matthew 7:14 on it), was obedient to James 1:19-20, and was able to bring my thoughts under subjection by recalling Matthew 5:44-45. When we handle things God’s way, we get His results which are always perfect. Amen? Amen!

Eternal God and Heavenly Savior, we come before you in the name of Jesus, thanking You for Your goodness, grace, mercy, love, power, kindness, and for the Word that You have given us, as it relates to how we treat others when we are mistreated.We ask that You help us to be slow to speak, slow to get angry and quick to hear—especially to hear You, Jesus, so that we walk in the Spirit versus walking in the flesh. Please forgive us for the times we have allowed our emotions, feelings and being wronged to have us react in a way that did not honor You. Help us to remember we want to glorify You in our thoughts, words, actions and interactions.

We bless You for this time today and ask that you bless the listeners in a special way, 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 for our Thursday Night Bible Study––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform BCU is available on. Some of those platforms are Amazon Music, AnchorFm, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify,  Stitcher Radio , and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

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

Love,

BCU

BlenCouragesU2 Comments

When the “forecast” changes…

Hey there BCU Family!

Typically, you have the option of listening to our podcast, reading the notes or both. For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording 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:

    • Whether or not we are walking with God, we are ALL made in God’s image.
    • While we have our own ideas on how situations in our lives should turn out, sometimes, God has a different plan.
    • While God’s way does not feel good to the flesh, His way is always better.
    • How we really feel about God changing “our” plans comes out in our thoughts, words and actions.

 Scripture references

Job 37:5-6

5 God thundereth marvellously with His voice; great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend.

6 For He saith to the snow, be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of His strength.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Galatians 5:17; 24-25

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

24-25 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Isaiah 55:8-9

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.

 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (I Thessalonians 5:18).

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

WHOO!!! This one is easy to spot in others, BCU Fam, but we really have to look at ourselves here first, right? So what is your gut reaction when the “forecast changes”? How challenging will it be to allow the Lord to adjust your attitude knowing that God has our best interests at heart?  Let’s talk some more about this—head down to the comment section so we can continue our dialogue!

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, Twitter,  and Instagram! You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher Radio , Google Play, and Apple podcasts!

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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BCU podcast-100 celebration FINALE: “Love and non-support.”

Hey 👋🏾 there BCU Family!

Typically, you have the option of listening to our podcast, reading the notes or both. For this post, because of the interview, please tune into the podcast recording. We pray the post blesses and encourages you.  If so, please thumbs up or leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

The BCU 100-podcast celebration-conversation is in it’s FINAL episode. We’ve been  answering your questions, proctored by my fellow teacher, sister and friend, Jewel Taylor. Let’s run down what we’ve talked about this series!

In our 100th podcast we talked about the beginning of the BCU ministry.

 In our second installment, we talked about what was difficult about the keeping the ministry going and started talking about the Dispensations.* (Innocence (1), Conscience, (2) and Human government (3), are spread over the second and third segments).

In our third segment, we ended up talking/teaching about how steward over our time properly, and that talked continued into the our fourth segment.

In segment 5, we chatted through The Dispensation of Promise, (4), talk about the erroneous mindset behind “claiming” the blessings of Abraham and the importance of keeping your treasures in Heaven.

In our next segment,  we continue our conversation and highlight heart treasures, debt and who we really work for.

In segment 6, we interrupted our Dispensation conversation to explore if Christians can be “too deep” and how saved parents balance raising unsaved children, especially around “holidays” such as Halloween.

In segment 7,we circled back to the Dispensation of Law, (5) and where we are currently, the Dispensation of Grace. (6) The common thread through our discussion was the cost of willful disobedience.

Next, we picked up right where we left off –where Jewel commented about the detriments of neglecting God’s presence. We also talked through the importance of having the Holy Ghost on the inside, and with the imminent return of Jesus to rapture His people, how we really want to walk in the Spirit vs walking in our flesh. We also finish up the Dispensations with the final one, the Millennial Reign (7).

Then,answered a question about what happens when someone leaves a church due to a bad situation and, also what happens to the responsible party. If this has happened to you, (I know I’ve been through that type of hurt myself), FORGIVENESS is paramount, BCU Family.  You can check out our studies on forgiveness here and here.

Next,we got into a controversial topic regarding attending a friend’s second marriage. This subject was controversial when the Pharisees brought it up to Jesus , and still is today. We went straight to the Word, Matthew 19:1-9 to answer that question, as the Bible is our final authority on everything.

Then, our talk continues on the subject of divorce and remarriage, yes, but moreover, how focused are we on listening and obeying God in all of our ways versus pleasing people.

Last time, we tackled a question about attending a baby shower for an unwed mother. And no, the sweet, innocent baby God blesses to come here has NOTHING to do with the question. Listen in as we expound on what the Word (Romans 1:28-32, especially verse 32) says, and my personal story on this sticky subject.

As we wrap up the 100-podcast celebration series, Jewel and I continue our conversation about “taking pleasure in” or supporting our friends and family in wrongdoing in the likes, shares, comments and sometimes, quite frankly, our silence. We also talk about the importance of treating people with LOVE, regardless of whether or not we agree with what they do.

Please click below for the podcast, and as you listen we’d love to hear your thoughts on the content in the comments section on the BlenCouragesU.com page below.

Have you become part of the BCU family? All you need to do us subscribe to BlenCouragesU.com. Subscribing is free and this is 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, Twitter , Instagram, and  YouTube! You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher Radio , Google Play, and iTunes!

Thank you SO much for stopping by and being a part of the celebration!  God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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