Word study: “Liberty”

Hey there BCU Fam!

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 (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 fun fact about me: I love vocabulary and word etymology (the history of a word or phrase shown by tracing its development and relationship).
  • When studying the Bible, it’s important to get an understanding of the original text (Hebrew|Old Testament or Greek|New Testament).
  • In doing so, we can better comprehend the meaning and see how we can apply it to our daily lives.
  • One definition of “liberty” in the Greek is —“aphesis”, meaning release from bondage or imprisonment. forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty. It can also mean power, license or authority.

Scripture references

Galatians 5:1

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:13

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another..

Mark 12:28-31

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

When we love God with all of us, and love people like ourselves, we have kept all the commandments.

BCUFam, it is a blessing to walk in the liberty Christ gives us. The freedom we have does not give us the license to do whatever we want–that mindset leads us back into the bondage of sin. Rather, because of Jesus, we are free to do what was impossible before He filled us with the Holy Ghost—and that is to live independent from sin.

Sure, we will struggle in some areas, or mess up along the way, and if we do, we can repent, ask for God’s forgiveness, and walk in the freedom of His forgiveness. That means we will not allow people to hold us hostage to what God forgave us for, AND going forward with God’s help, we do not continue practicing sin. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the Name of Jesus, we come before You with a thankful heart for the liberty you have given us! Thank You for freeing us from the bondage of sin, and helping us to walk independent from sin, and dependent on You to help us follow Your Word to the letter, so we are pleasing in Your sight, we are good witnesses of the transformational power of the Holy Ghost, and, so we can see You in peace, hearing the words “well done, thou good and faithful servant.” We give you all the glory and honor for giving us the privilege of representing You in all our interactions, in Jesus name, we pray and thank You, Amen!

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 mediums include Amazon Music, AnchorFm, Apple Podcasts, Google 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

BlenCouragesULeave a comment

Fear and People-pleasing

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:

  • In my recent internet travels, an influencer spoke about fear as is relates to people-pleasing.
  • While trauma is usually the reason, basically speaking, people-pleasing is rooted in the spirit of fear.
  • Sometimes, we operate in the fear of what will happen if we say “no” to people, especially if they are powerful, have influence, have something we need, or have a habit of “making” us feel guilty. That is called a snare.
  • If God tells us to say no, we must trust that He has better way, and His way will keep us safe.

Scripture references

Proverbs 29:25

25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

I Timothy 1:7

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Galatians 5:19-21

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.

Proverbs 21:1

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Galatians 1:10

10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.

People-pleasing is rooted in the spirit of fear. What is it about this person that we are so afraid of?

BCUFam, people-pleasing and the addiction to people-approval is a subtle snare set up by the enemy, and many of us have gotten caught up in it. The good news is that Jesus has come to set us free from the fear of people! If we can trust that He will take care of us despite what the people say, then we will ALWAYS be safe. Let’s pray!

Father in the name of Jesus, we thank you for your Word that reminds us that we do NOT have to live in the fear of people. As we come before you, please forgive us for the times that we allowed fear to put others before You, Lord. Also, Lord, please forgive us for being the person who used fear to set a snare for someone else.

In the name of Jesus, we ask you to please come in set us all free from the snare of people-pleasing! Break every chain of people-approval, over-explaining ,and even being the person who is using our power or influence to make someone fearful of us. Free us, Jesus from the guilt that comes after we say “no”. And Lord, if we are being told “no”, help us to receive it graciously! Bless us to remember not to be a snare to anyone, because You supply our needs, Jesus. We trust that You will work everything out for us, Your way and in Your time. So while we wait, we thank You, Jesus for sustaining us.

Fill our hearts and minds with your perfect love, as I John 4:18 reminds us, that casts out all fear, and please bless us to continue walking in our deliverance and victory! Thank You Jesus for blessing us to trust in You, so that we are safe. We thank You for answering our plea, and will ever give Your Name the praise, glory and honor for Who You are and all You do for us. It is in Jesus name we pray and thank You, Lord! 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, Twitter 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!

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

Love,

BCU

BlenCouragesULeave a comment

Singles Chalkboard: Silly women FINALE

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 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:

  • God has blessed all mankind, but especially women with attributes like knowledge, tenacity and virtue (See Proverbs 31:9-31).
  • Very often, women can be beguiled into saying and doing things that do not line up with the Word of God (See Genesis 3).
  • Because we serve a wise God, He wants women to walk in the wisdom, knowledge, instruction and understanding that He gives us.
  • So, we must understand not only what a silly woman is, but what to look out for, so we do not fall for the “okie-doke”.
  • We also want to be sure we are not walking in the ungodly attributes Paul lists in 2 Timothy 3.
  • Previously, we the why of the post along with verses 1 & 2. Then we took an in-depth look at verse 3 and then onto verse 4.  Last time, we talked through verses 5, 6, & 7. Let’s overview all verses including 8 and 9!

Scripture references

2 Timothy Chapter 3 (KJV)

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.

So BCU Family once again, I have to confess that this subject is not one that is comfortable. No one wants to be or admit that they are silly–it can feel like an putting down of women, if not viewed in the right way.  Truth be told, when we look at the news, around the lives of our friends and family and even ourselves, many women have been or are are still being held captive.

We’re here to expose the enemy so we can avoid and escape captivity in the freeing and POWERFUL name of Jesus! If you or someone you know need prayer or encouragement on this topic, please send and email to Blen@BlenCouragesU.com (subject line: Silly Women) or send a private message to any of the BCU social media accounts (listed below). If these posts have resonated with you or you have thoughts to share, please head down to the comments section to share your thoughts so we can continue our conversation!

Finally,  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

BlenCouragesULeave a comment

Singles Chalkboard: Silliness=captivity.

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 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:

  • God has blessed all mankind, but especially women with attributes like knowledge, tenacity and virtue (See Proverbs 31:9-31).
  • Very often, women can be beguiled into saying and doing things that do not line up with the Word of God (See Genesis 3).
  • Because we serve a wise God, He wants women to walk in the wisdom, knowledge, instruction and understanding that He gives us.
  • So, we must understand not only what a silly woman is, but what to look out for, so we do not fall for the “okie-doke”.
  • We also want to be sure we are not walking in the ungodly attributes Paul lists in 2 Timothy 3.
  • Previously, we the why of the post along with verses 1 & 2. Then we took an in-depth look at verse 3 and then onto verse 4. Let’s take a look at verses 5 and 6!

Scripture references

2 Timothy Chapter 3 (KJV)

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.

So BCU Family, I have to confess that this subject is not one that is comfortable. No one wants to be or admit that they are silly–it can feel like an putting down of women, if not viewed in the right way.  Truth be told, when we look at the news, around the lives of our friends and family and even ourselves, many women have been or are are still being held captive.

The point is we do not HAVE to be silly, do not have to be held captive, if we follow what the Word of God says over our flesh. Is that easy and always feel good? No. Is it better that getting into situations that continually cripple and hurt us emotionally, spiritually, mentally, financially and physically? Yes. What are your thoughts?  Please head down to the comments section to share your thoughts so we can continue our conversation!

In the meantime, 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

BlenCouragesU1 Comment

Singles Chalkboard: Recognize these characteristics in a man? RUN!

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 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:

  • God has blessed all mankind, but especially women with attributes like knowledge, tenacity and virtue (See Proverbs 31:9-31).
  • Very often, women can be beguiled into saying and doing things that do not line up with the Word of God (See Genesis 3).
  • Because we serve a wise God, He wants women to walk in the wisdom, knowledge, instruction and understanding that He gives us.
  • So, we must understand not only what a silly woman is, but what to look out for, so we do not fall for the “okie-doke”.
  • We also want to be sure we are not walking in the ungodly attributes Paul lists in 2 Timothy 3.
  • Previously, we the why of the post along with verses 1 & 2. Then we took an in-depth look at verse 3. This time, we will cover verse 4.

Scripture references

2 Timothy Chapter 3 (KJV)

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.

So BCU Family, how has this study enlightened you on these characteristics many of us knew, but maybe had not thought too much of? I can tell you for me—TOTAL eye opener!  Please head down to the comments section to share your thoughts so we can continue our conversation!

In the meantime, 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

BlenCouragesU2 Comments