“….No Good Thing…”

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:

  • Over the past couple of months, reconnecting with people from my past has been a real blessing!
  • One reconnection opportunity was exciting——-but did not lead to a favorable response.
  • This situation started a bit of overthinking, until the Lord stopped by to give me His Word on the matter.

Scripture (KJV) references

Psalm 84:11

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.

2 Corinthians 10:5

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

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.

Philippians 4:11
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

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.

BCUFam, sometimes when people act a certain way, we start to analyze, worry, and wonder——what we did, did not do, what happened, what it something said, overlooked, or forgotten? And the list goes on.

God is not interested in us being overburdened, fretful and in a place where negative and hypothetical mental gymnastics take over our hearts and minds. Because we serve a good God and Father that cares about His children, if the relationship (or anything else) is a good thing, we will get it. And if not, we thank God for His hand of protection. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, as we come before You, Lord, we want to bless Your name for the Word of God that has come into our hearts and for the reminder that You are looking out for us and taking care of us from every angle, including our relationships.
We thank You, Lord, for giving us divine direction as to who should be in our inner circle and who should not. Help us, Lord, to be at peace with the fact that there are certain people in our lives for reasons, for seasons, to teach us lessons, and to be a blessing. Wherever they are and whatever the purpose is, Lord, we thank You for helping us to see that, to be content with it, and to move forward in doing whatever it is that You would have us to do according to Your will and Your way.

Regardless of relationships and their status, Lord, we thank You for blessing us to continue to love people and to treat them correctly according to how You would have us, according to the Word of God, so that You are glorified, honored, and praised.

We bless You, we praise You, we thank You, we magnify You, and we lift You up for this and for all things.
In the matchless name of Jesus Christ, we pray and we bless You. Let every heart say, 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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Room A203: My Mom, A Road Trip, and a Heart to Serve

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:

  • My earliest memory was my first road trip to South Carolina to visit our extended family, which I LOVED!
  • A highlight of our outings was to head to the Piggly-Wiggly to pick up provisions for our family.
  • Unbeknownst to me at the time, through these trips my parents (Mom in particular), taught lessons on entitlement, humility, and being a blessing to others.

Scripture (KJV) references

Romans 12:10

10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.

Philippians 2:3

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves”.

Matthew 23:11-12

11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

A picture of my late Mom and I in London
Mom and I in London

BCUFam, in this present world, we see pride and a spirit of expectation and entitlement—–completely opposite of what the Lord instructs his children to do. Jesus was about serving and being a blessing to others, and my Mom walked that out in front of us for early and often.

As I reflect on the life of my late mother, I recognize that the lessons she taught—–both spoken and unspoken and they how continue to resonate with me today. Lord will, I plan to share some of those lessons with you all as I chronicle her phenomenal life and impactful legacy. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Eternal God, and amazing Savior as we come before You today, we thank You for reminding us to walk in a spirit of humility as we interact with others. Please help us to be cognizant, Lord of how we can be a blessing to others as we continue to reflect You in our lives. We thank and praise You, and we honor You for the opportunity to be a blessing to others, and to serve You in a way, where someone will ask, “what must I do to be saved?” We thank You, and we praise You for this and for all things, Lord, in Jesus name, we bless 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 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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A Friend’s Betrayal: Lessons in Serving Love

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 rebroadcast blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

  • This time of year, many Christians are especially remembering the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior.
  • As we recall the events leading up to the death of Jesus, it’s important we examine how He treated people, including Judas.

KJV Scripture references

Matthew 5:43-48

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.

Matthew 26:14-30; 47-50

14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,

15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.

20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.

24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.

49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him.

What I marvel at, BCUFam is this:

Jesus knew Judas.

Jesus chose Judas.

Jesus served Judas——all while knowing that Judas would betray Him. That’s love.

And even when Judas delivered Him to the chief priests and elders, Jesus still called Him friend. Not in a snarky, sarcastic way, He meant it. That must have moved Judas, along with watching Jesus being brought to Pilate, because the Scriptures say he realized he betrayed an innocent man. After he confessed, Judas threw the money down and hung himself (Matthew 27:1-5).

BCUFam, as trying as it is sometimes, we are commanded to walk out Matthew 5:43-48 in all our challenging interactions. If Jesus in the flesh continued to love, bless, do good, pray for and serve the man who would betray Him, how much more should we be doing? It’s a challenge, yes, but we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Amen? Amen!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for this lesson and reminder. As we go through this life, we know offenses will come, and along with those offenses, the opportunities and inclination to retaliate. Please strengthen us to continue to love, bless, do good and pray for those who have offended, hurt, or betrayed us, according to Your instruction, so You will be honored, and we will be called Your children. We thank You for continuing to bless and keep us, and we will 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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Judas and Jesus

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 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!

  • This week, many Christians are especially remembering the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior.
  • As we recall the events leading up to the death of Jesus, it’s important we examine how He treated people, including Judas.

KJV Scripture references

Matthew 5:43-48

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.

Matthew 26:14-30; 47-50

14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,

15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.

20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.

24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.

49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him.

What I marvel at, BCUFam is this:

Jesus knew Judas

Jesus chose Judas

Jesus served Judas–all while knowing that Judas would betray Him. That’s love.

And even when Judas delivered Him to the chief priests and elders, Jesus still called Him friend. Not in a snarky, sarcastic way, He meant it. That had to have moved Judas, along with watching Jesus being brought to Pilate, because the Scriptures say he realized he betrayed an innocent man. After he confessed, Judas threw the money down and hung himself (Matthew 27:1-5).

BCUFam, as trying as it is sometimes, we are commanded to walk out Matthew 5:43-48 in all our challenging interactions. If Jesus in the flesh continued to love, bless, do good, pray for and serve the man who would betray Him, how much more should we be doing? It’s a challenge, yes, but we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. 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

BlenCouragesU3 Comments