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

The reminder about the dryer…

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:

  • Back in the day–—-when talk shows were all the rage, I was a HUGE fan of the Oprah Winfrey show, and even had a short guest spot (I may need to see if I can find that clip)😉.
  • I found some of her shows helpful in dispensing sound advice for relationships, tasks and chores.
  • One show talked about the potential detriment of leaving your clothes dryer running when you are not at home.
  • Listen in to find out how the Lord used that show to remind me of the importance of obedience.

Scripture references:

I Samuel 15:22-23

22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

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.

Proverbs 9:6

6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

BCUFam, I only had about 15-20 minutes left on the cycle for the clothes to dry, so I was really tempted to leave it running so when I returned home, I could get back to “Restville” a lot faster. Despite what I knew to do, the enemy came into my mind to rationalize and debate the sound wisdom God gave me with the lure of convenience, ease, and the pressure to hurry. Oh, but the voice of the Lord came to me and said, “think about what could happen…..if something did happen, it would have been 100% avoidable, if you had just listened.” And thank God I heeded the warning. Sure my day was interrupted, but it could have been altered in a way where a tragedy could have taken place. I thank the Lord for His soft voice reminding me that obedience always is better than sacrifice. Amen? Amen!

Father in the name of Jesus, as we come before you today, we thank You as always for Your Word! Your Word is wisdom in reminding us to acknowledge You in ALL of our ways and to follow through with the information and advice You give us because it is always perfect. Help us to not walk in the ways of foolishness, rather, to use the wisdom You have given us, the wisdom that comes with Your Word and acknowledging You so we are always doing things the right way. And for the times we did not acknowledge You and leaned to our own understanding, please forgive us, Jesus! Please help us, Lord going forward to follow what You say so that You are glorified, honored and praised in our lives. 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

BlenCouragesULeave a comment

From Hosanna to Heaven

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:

  • As “Holy Week” approaches, many Christians the remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
  • For years, there have been great debates on the “appropriateness” of celebrating Resurrection Day—-citing not knowing the day Jesus rose, and all the secular references—the bunny, eggs, chocolate and pagan origins of Easter (all valid points).
  • That said, Jesus dying for our sins was a bloody and painful sacrifice for all of us that we should always remember.
  • For those who know Jesus in the pardoning of their sins, we understand and celebrate the biblical and life-changing momentousness of His resurrection.

John 12:13

12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 27:26-50

26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

36 And sitting down they watched him there;

37 And set up over his head his accusation written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews.

38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

John 3:16-17

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Mark 16:1-7

1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

John 16:7

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Acts 2:38

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

BCU Fam, I started the podcast to highlight one word and ended up emotionally recalling some of the pain Jesus went through as He sacrificed His life for ALL of us. When I think about what Jesus went through to save us, with His help, it compels me to live in a way that honors His life daily and points others to Jesus being the Way, the Truth and the Life. Let’s pray.

Father, in the name of Jesus, as we come before you today, we want to thank You for this reminder of what You have done for us,Jesus. Thank you for a look back over the Scriptures from Palm Sunday, to the day You died and rose in triumph! We thank and praise You, Jesus for being the ultimate sacrifice for ALL of us—–no matter where we live, our ethnicity, the language we speak—-salvation is available for everyone! We are grateful that You still save, Jesus! Thank You for the Comforter in the way of the Holy Ghost that lives down on the inside of us. As we go through some of the tough trials in this life, Lord, and we feel like we cannot go on, bless us to remember Your sacrifice for us and that we can rely on Your strength to help us along the way. Remember those who are on the fence about giving their lives to you, Jesus. Help them to push past the lies of the enemy, so that they can experience Your saving power. It’s in Jesus name we thank You for this and all things, we pray and bless You, Amen!

As a reminder, the comments section is open —tell us what you thought about the post! Also, 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 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

Obedience x sacrifice

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:
  • Every so often I like to take a vacation day to take a break from my very busy life.
  • In anticipation of those days, and even just for the weekends, I try and complete all tasks during the week so I can enjoy my time off as much as possible.
  • On this particular vacation day, I was planning to skip a morning conversation/prayer I have with the family, to start my “slow hurry” day, but the Lord had other plans.

KJV Scripture references

 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams (I Samuel 15:22).

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

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).

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).

BCUFam, I will confess that my body did not want to rise at that early hour! I just bless the Lord for heeding to His nudge and sacrificing my comfort for the conversation and prayer. Only the Lord knows if a plan of the enemy was cancelled, maybe a demonic force was rendered helpless, some formed weapon did not prosper, or if was the planter and/or waterer for the Lord to finish His work on the kids in terms of salvation. I may never know specifically what was abated, but I thank God for it!

Obedience may be costly, but that cost does not compare to return on the obedience investment.

Something else to keep in mind——obedience does not always net a tangible blessing. Sometimes we feel that every time we obey God, we will rewarded with a new car, mansion, yacht, bags of money, and other such things. I am not saying that God will not bless us with earthly things—–I am a witness that He will. However, God is not obligated to show “His appreciation” to us tangibly, or at all, otherwise, we only obey to receive.

Also, if we don’t get a “treat” every time we obey, the enemy will trick us into thinking there is no merit in doing what God says—and that will lead us away from Him. So let’s practice being obedient to the Lord out of love and wanting to please Him—and knowing He’s pleased is a reward within itself. And whatever He may decide to bless us with, be it material, spiritual, financial, physical, now later or not, let’s just give God thanks in all things—it’s His will concerning us (I Thessalonians 5:18). Amen? 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 Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. 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

BlenCouragesU4 Comments

Revisit: Four Types of Love

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:

  • We use the term “love” very generally, but the definitions are very specific.
  • There are more types of love to define, but our focus is on the four below.
  • Regardless of the love type or (lack of) love reciprocity, God expects us to exhibit love in all interactions.
  • Loving the hard-to-love can be a challenge, but God is able if we are willing.

BCU Love types 4

When we lay this out, BCU Fam, we see what our responsibility is in terms of loving people the way God requires—especially the unconditional, forgiving agape love that is threaded through all these love types. I have to say the flesh would have us to stifle our love and save it for those who deserve it or show us love, but Matthew 5:43-48 reminds us that there is no reward in that behavior, rather we are to love our enemies. We will be tested in this area until we get it right, BCU Fam! (Ask me how I know?) Even in that testing, demonstrating love is possible with the help and total surrender to the word and will of God. Amen? Amen!

BCU Fam, what are your thoughts on our topic? How can we ensure that we show love in all of our interactions? Please head to the comments section below and let’s chat some more!

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 Thursday nights–we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. 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