Christmas reflection: How GREAT is our GOD?

Hey there BCU Fam!

As usual, you have the option of listening to our podcast (click the BCU avatar below to listen), reading the notes or BOTH. In any case, we pray the the post blesses you. If so, please thumbs up or leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy your study!

So, we are now mere days away from the day we set aside to celebrate the birth of Christ (there is NO biblical reference to what day Christ was born), and the excitement is in the air!  As we meditate on the miracle of His birth (rather than collecting presents) and how/why He came here to save mankind (see John 3:16),  the preparation and circumstances for His arrival were orchestrated perfectly. God gave me this simple, yet powerful post that truly showed me how –and reminded me of the power of God. Read, reflect and rejoice on the magnitude of our God!

Prophecy: Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me, the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”

Situation: Joseph & very pregnant Mary are in Nazareth/Galilee about 70 or so miles away from Bethlehem and likely had no reason to go there. Until…Let’s go to Luke 2:1-3.

1And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

2This census first took place while Cyrenius was governing Syria.

3So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. (See this?!)

Solution: Caesar declares a tax and all people, including Joseph and Mary have to make their way to their own/home city (and with no modern transportation, I might add. Luke 2:4-6)
4Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was great with child.

6So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

Lesson: God used a carnal government official to make His Word/promise come to pass. He’s that powerful!! Psalms 62:11 says, “God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: power belongs to God!” That’s something to get excited about!

Proverbs 21:1 declares, “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will.” When we think about that, it helps us to understand who God really is and how He organizes circumstances to accomplish His will. While we may not understand or like our current situation(s), with His help, we need to trust He knows what He’s doing. In fact, Paul reminds us that “..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). While the individual situations that happen in our lives may not feel good, once the Lord finishes His masterpiece, ALL things will work together for good! With the grace of God, we’ll just hang on in here together and let the Lord have His way!

BCU Family, that brings us to the question of the day! How did the Lord bless you through what you heard/read? Please comment below–we’d love to hear from you!

As a reminder, there are additional podcasts for you to enjoy–you are welcome to peruse the BlenCouragesU.com site 24-7!  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 iTunes.

Thank you so much for stopping by–we appreciate you choosing to be a part of the BCU family! Until we are together again,may God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you!

Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! #StayOnTheWall!

 

Love,

 

BCU

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It’s about time….

Hey there BCU Fam!

As usual, you have the option of listening to our podcast (click the BCU avatar below to listen), reading the notes or BOTH. In any case, we pray the the post blesses you. If so, please thumbs up or leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy your study!

 

A while back I was scrolling through the BCU Instagram feed and saw this quote from Christian comedian Broderick E. Rice: “Early birds get more than just the worm; they get everything the latecomers aren’t willing to sacrifice for.” He lowered the “BOOM”, y’all! 😳

As I pondered that, back in my 20’s, I might have chuckled and kept moving. Fast forward a couple of decades, and I totally agree with what he said. Occasional tardiness, or something that can’t be helped (church service starts at 7pm and you get off work at the same time, you got a flat tire, you were ministering at church, etc..) is one thing, it is the habitual lateness that is the quagmire for most of us. Not only is non-punctuality extremely discourteous, it is stressful (for the offender and the offended) and most of all, it shows lack of stewardship of the precious commodity of time that God entrusts us with. I Corinthians 4:2 says that stewards have to be found faithful–and that means in all areas of our lives. Many times, we just need to manage our time better, with God’s help.

In doing some quick research, I ran across a post about tardiness written by Brett and Kate McKay–a snippet of the high points are below. While the post was intended to help our male population be on time, I believe this information is just as important for the ladies! Let’s dig into the highlight reel courtesy of TheArtOfManliness.com, as well as the added biblical checkpoints.

1) Being punctual shows your humility. That bumper sticker maxim: “Always late, but worth the wait” shows that tardiness and an overestimation of one’s worth sometimes go hand in hand. People will be glad to see you when you arrive, but they would have been gladder still had you come on time.

Biblical checkpoint: Proverbs 29:23 says, a man’s pride will bring him low, but honor shall uphold the lowly in spirit. 

2) Being punctual shows your respect for others. Being late is a selfish act, for it puts your needs above another’s. You want an extra minute to do what you’d like, but in gaining that minute for yourself, you take a minute from another, which is why….

3) Being late is a form of stealing. That’s a tough truth, but it’s a truth nonetheless. When you make others wait for you, you rob minutes from them that they’ll never get back. Time they could have turned into money, or simply used for the things important to them. In coming to meet you at the agreed upon hour, they may have made sacrifices – woken up early, cut short their workout, told their kid they couldn’t read a story together – and your lateness negates those sacrifices. If you wouldn’t think of taking ten dollars from another man’s wallet, you shouldn’t think of stealing ten minutes from him either. Being punctual shows you value time yourself, and thus wouldn’t think of depriving others of this precious, but limited resource.

Biblical checkpoint: Thou shall not steal (Exodus 20:15).

4) Being late strains your relationships. When you’re late in meeting other people, it makes them feel under-valued, that whatever you couldn’t pull yourself away from was more important or that they didn’t mean enough to you to warrant allotting sufficient time to arrive on schedule. The guest who flies in to see you feels like a dope standing at the airport alone, your date feels awkward sitting at the restaurant by herself, and your child feels abandoned as she waits with her teacher for you to arrive, all the other children having already been picked up from school.

Biblical checkpoint: Let nothing be done though selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves (Philippians 2:3). 

5)Being punctual strengthens and reveals your integrity. If you tell someone that you will meet them at a certain time, you have essentially made them a promise. And if you say you’ll be there at 8:00, and yet arrive at 8:15, you have essentially broken that promise. Being on time shows others that you are a man [woman] of your word.

Biblical checkpoint: Lord, who shall abide in your tabernacle? Who shall dwell in your holy hill? He that swears to his own hurt and changes not (Psalm 15:1, 4). In other words, even if it hurts you, keep your word. 

6) Being late takes a toll on your life. Always running behind simply hurts you in all areas of your life. It results in lost opportunities: missing a plane, missing a meeting, missing an important part of a lecture, missing a wedding. It creates stress and can lead to car accidents and traffic tickets. It results in embarrassment and forces you to come up with excuses for why you’re late, putting a strain on your honesty. Basically, it makes your life more complicated; for men [women] seeking to simplify their lives, cultivating punctuality is an essential part of that path.

Biblical checkpoint: In telling  a parable about what the kingdom of heaven is likened to,  Jesus said there were ten virgins (Matthew 25) who were supposed to be ready to meet the Bridegroom at a particular time. Five of the ladies were wise enough to take oil with them and the other five did not. When the bridegroom called, the five wise ladies were ready with their lamps trimmed, while the five foolish were caught out without oil and had to go buy it. By the time they got back, the door was shut to them-the bridegroom said he did NOT know them. We could really go deep here, but suffice it to say being late causes you to miss out on things that could be life-threatening. 

Whew, BCU family–I’m a bit convicted here! Ephesians 5:16-17 says we should walk circumspectly not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil! That being said, ALL the points spoke to my tardy heart!

Please leave a comment below and tell us which punctuality points resonated with you.  In the meantime, let’s ask The Lord to help us to manage the time He so graciously gives us! I may do a follow-up to this post–I’m excited about implementing habitual timeliness! 😊

As a reminder, there are additional podcasts for you to enjoy–you are welcome to peruse the BlenCouragesU.com site 24-7!  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 iTunes.

Until we are together again,  thank you for stopping by and may God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you! #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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#LifeApplication: Getting back to work on the wall

 Hi there BCU Family!

As usual, you have the option of listening to our podcast (click the BCU avatar below to listen), reading the notes or BOTH. In any case, we pray the podcast/post blesses you! Please thumbs up or leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy your study!

I pray our study of  Nehemiah has been a blessing and a challenge for all of us (myself included to come up to where God wants you to be. In the beginning of Nehemiah chapter 4, we read where Sanballat and his posse were threatening the work on the wall, but Nehemiah set up a watch and prayed, so the work would go on.  Last study, Nehemiah faced challenges with his own work crew and was able to stabilize the situation. Let’s finish up chapter 4 by looking at what other measures Nehemiah put into place and how they can apply to us.

v 15And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

They kept working and the enemy stopped. They KNEW they were defeated. The adversary KNOWS he is defeated and we do as well. WHY are we just laying down and giving him victory and claiming he stole it? This is a fixed fight, Family! The enemy will try us, we have to stand CONFIDENT in our faith and knowledge that OUR God will fight for us!

v16And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

New rules were enacted based on the what happened with Sanballat and his cronies. Nehemiah had some of his team working while others kept watch with weapons (including armor) and watch this the rulers were in FULL support. THIS is how a body should work! Are we holding our fellow members up in prayer? Are we helping them fight? And not just the ones we know and see–we have brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world that would benefit from our prayers so they continue their assignment in their part of the vineyard.

v17They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.

So the builders, loaders and carriers were back on duty and armed. We are to be armed with out weapons, girdle of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, sword of the spirit, helmet of salvation and shoes of peace AND we have to watch and pray! This is key to us getting victory!!! See Ephesians 6:10-18 for the details, benefits and purpose of putting on the whole armor of God! GLORY to God!!!!!!!

Let’s get back to Nehemiah.

v18For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

v19And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, the work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

v20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.

The trumpet was put in place as a warning for all to come together and he reminded the people that God would fight for them. God fights for us!!!

The other thing is that Nehemiah had a plan. How many of us plan for things? What are our contingencies if the work gets interrupted? Do we plan to pray and react or react then pray? Do we plan to minister when we go to work, the market, the barber, hairdresser, the dentist, the mechanic? Or do we “plan” to complain? Do we plan to be excited about the church/prayer service or Bible study? or do we “plan” what we are doing when it’s over? These are real and very sticky questions–yes, we are busy with many things. God knows that–we have to be in a place to minister to whoever comes into our midst–the person at the gas station or you chat with in the grocery store isle may need to know that God is real, that He loves them, that they can be saved. No matter how “busy” we are, we should “plan” to be on assignment wherever and whenever God call us to do so.

v21So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. 

v22Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. 

v23So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.

BCU family, the last three verses really speak to the dedication of the people to the work of the Lord! Work was being done sun up to sun down, and with that work, the crew planned to stay close by to guard or work, so that the enemy did not get ANY victory for stopping/slowing things down! ON TOP of that, none of the men stopped to change clothes until it was time to wash them! We may not have to that go to physical of an extreme in our lives, but the mentality of keeping on task through the “dirty” process (being testing in your patience, faith, dealing with people and their different spirits, etc.), should be evident in all we do, with the help of the Lord. Amen? Amen!

Are you pumped to go through the process? It’s not always pretty or easy, but the outcome will be wonderful especially since we are doing things God’s way and becoming more like Him. That’s the goal. Amen? Amen.

Well BCU Family, this wraps up chapter 4 of Nehemiah–we are working on chapter 5 coming up, so please stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, there are several podcasts for you to enjoy–you are welcome to peruse the BlenCouragesU.com site 24-7!  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 iTunes.

Question of the day: How has this made you rethink how you handle your tasks for God? Drop your answer in the comment section below! 

Until we are together again,  thank you for stopping by and may God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you! #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

 

BCU

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The most wonderful time of the year?

Hey BCU Family,

 

As usual, you have the option of listening to our podcast (click the BCU avatar below to listen), reading the notes or BOTH. In any case, we pray the podcast blesses you. If so, please thumbs up or leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy your study!

As many of us prepare celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and The New Year with family, friends, serving others, or what have you, let’s ask the Lord to help us to watch as well as pray for all those we come in contact with.  Let me tell you why.

I recall a few years back on a Friday night, I was at a Christmas dinner party with some friends, where we ALL laughed and talked for hours–it was one of the best times I had ever had!  Fast forward to the following Monday and we learned one of the guests had committed suicide. I was SHOCKED..and as I recounted the time we had together, I did not detect this engaging person intended to carry out their own demise. It still breaks my heart to think about it. 😦

While there is not a set time, the enemy, adversary or plainly, the devil seems to come around hard during November, December and January, working on the minds of people to convince them there is no hope, you’ll never get a job, your family does not love you, you have no friends, things will not get better, that relationship will not work, nothing goes right, the pain is too great, things will only get worse..et cetera. And the ultimate–if you end it all, you will finally be at peace. That is NOT so–your soul has an eternity to live with that decision, and it WILL be one you regret.

God is the giver of life and whether we saved or not, as depressing, sick, tough, painful, ugly, unbearable, tiring, impossible, messy, hurtful or what ever is happening  (and yes, I DO understand.. we have ALL been here some time or another), God does not give us permission to end our lives–that’s HIS job. Rather God directs us to cast our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). The Word also reminds us that Jesus wants all who labor, are burdened and are heavy laden to come to Him for rest! He wants to exchange burdens with us because His burden is light. (Matthew 28:11-30).  Is that easy to do? No! Think about the alternative, though–as we carry burdens, they get heavier, we get weaker, sicker, less motivated, depressed and then the suicidal/self-destructive thoughts  and actions come. It is true we will have troubles in this life,  but God really wants us to come to and depend on Him to help us with every situation we have.

Bottom line: Sometimes, behind the smiles and jokes, there is a person who is hurting and does not know how or to whom they should reach out. Pride, fear of ridicule, stigma, losing social status, gossip, being bullied more (all coming from the enemy), can rob a person from this earth prematurely leaving the family and friends reeling from the shock and praying for God to heal their shattered hearts.

My Holy-Ghost filled readers, please… ask God to sensitize your heart, spiritual eyes, and give you what to say to those around you. Be on the lookout for people who are laughing, but there is pain in their eyes. Make it a point to call or SEE someone (NO texting or email unless it’s to set up a meeting). Only use Skype or FaceTime if needed..just make a personal connection.

Pay attention to folks at the market, pray silently (or with them if they would like) for the representatives you speak with on the telephone.  As you are getting your hair cut or styled or shopping about, ask the Lord to bless, heal, deliver and save anyone who comes in the shop.  As you think about it,  pray for those who may be depressed over losing a loved one, relationship, job, hurting, and over life in general. Ask God how to help–maybe you can cook a meal, give a gift card, buy them a coffee, or just listen –be a friend. Your act of kindness can turn things around. Also, ask God to help YOU (yes, believers feel sad sometimes), to take all your heavy burdens to Him. Confide in a trusted friend or prayer partner as needful.

If you do not know Christ or maybe you do and are feeling blue or know someone who is, know that we are praying for you. Take every situation to God in prayer right now–you do not have to be fancy about it, just talk to Him.  Ask Him to send you a sensitive, Holy-Ghost filled counselor who will give you biblical and practical advice. God is STILL in the saving, fixing and healing business. He has done it for me and wants to do it for you and others as well..you have His Word on it! He promises!

If you happen to be listening/reading and feeling out of sorts or know someone who is and would like to speak with us, you can reach out to us here: Blen@BlenCouragesU.com  or call 845-768-3349.

You can also get encouragement on the daily by following us 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, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

 

We love dialogue here! Before you go, please leave us an encouraging comment for someone who may need it.

Until we are together again, thank you for stopping by and may God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you! #StayOnTheWall!

 

Love,

 

BCU

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#RealTalk-When you have NO strength to complete your assignment..

Hey there BCU Family!

As usual, you have the option of listening to our podcast (click the BCU avatar below to listen), reading the notes or BOTH. In any case, we pray the podcast blesses you. If so, please thumbs up or leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy your study!

I trust our Nehemiah study has been a blessing and a call to action for you–it has been for me!  Last time, we started digging into Nehemiah chapter 4, and left off with where Sanballat and his posse were threatening the work on the wall, but Nehemiah set up a watch and prayed, so the work would go on.  Now, though, Nehemiah faces more challenges with his own work crew! Let’s dig right in!

v10And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

What the Lord pointed out to me here was Judah saying “the strength of THE bearers of burdens”. Notice in chapter 3, Nehemiah took the time to NAME the individual builders, the priests, merchants, Tekoites, sons of so-and-so.  Here it says THE bearers of burdens--in other words, the strength of ALL the workers, the priests, merchants, Tekoites, sons of so-and-so was decayed.  Initially, everyone was willing to work even in the midst of the earlier threats. Now for some reason, the crew started to notice all the work ahead of them and things started to look impossible. Can you relate to that?

Anytime you are into an assignment, especially the middle and end, you start to get tired.
The result? You are NOW fearful, cowering, stressed, thinking this is too much of a trial, too much work, too dangerous, too difficult, you play the song over and over (notice how the enemy gave you the track free of charge) and you start think it, say it, act it and SPREAD it! So now ALL the workers are infected with this poison called fear!

It happens all the time! In the news, the police force, the Zika virus, the shortage of food, the contamination of chicken parts, the plastic we consume in a burger, the pesticides you get, is it organic or not? What is this President going to do? Will I lose my job? What if? Fear will have you DO NOTHING, GAIN NOTHING, and GET NOTHING! God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a power, love, power and a sound mind! (2 Timothy 1:7). GLORY to God!

Back to Nehemiah–on top of these threats, bluffs, ridicule and tiredness, here comes another attack!

v11And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

They learned the enemy is planning a sneak attack to wipe them out–and THEN the wall will cease. Obviously the enemy was VERY threatened by what was going on, otherwise, he wouldn’t be plotting so hard. Did you catch that BCU Family?

v 12And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, from all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.

Now the Jews who neighbored by the wall project heard what the adversaries were planning, and told Nehemiah and the crew all about it. At first, I thought about them being lazy and not helping, BUT God had a purpose for them being in place to report back to Nehemiah. This teaches us that sometimes God has people on the wall to watch and warn.

Think about the assignments God has called you to. What have we abandoned because we felt weary? Fearful? It was too much work? Who threatened you? Ridiculed you? Told you so and so was out to stop you? Why did you let it stop you? While threats and ridicule is real and HURTS, it does not negate is from staying on the wall. God gave us the assignment and we must complete it with His help!

We may need to come down and get healed up, but the work should not cease. John 9:4 says: I must works the works of Him that sent me while it is day. The night comes when no man can work. Get your work done NOW while it is day and you are able. Once our night comes (death) we cease from working and we want to be sure we are caught up with the Lord in the rapture–or if we die ahead of that, we hear well done, thou good and faithful servant. We can’t walk off the job now, Family!!!  Now, let’s take a look at what Nehemiah did about the workers concerns.

v13Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

Notice how he took their concerns seriously and acted on them. He didn’t tell them, “oh just trust God and keep working!” He set up a WATCH. He organized them with weapons and then was able to speak encouraging words to their hearts.

v14And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

He reminded them of God’s word, as well as who they were fighting for. Notice how Nehemiah’s faith was backed up by works. Faith without works is DEAD (James 2:17).

Is what we have worth fighting for? Is what God gave us, put in our hearts to do, the task, the assignment, the talent, the gift, the marriage HE ordained, the relationship HE blessed you with, the family member, the friend, even the STRANGER you are witnessing to worth fighting/staying on the wall/staying on duty for?  YES!!!!!

v15And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

Nehemiah’s crew kept working and the enemy stopped. Sanballat and his team KNEW they were defeated. The enemy KNOWS he is defeated and we do as well. It’s a fixed fight, BCU Fam! We are not to just lay down and give the enemy the victory claiming he stole it! We watch and pray (Nehemiah 4:9), we fight in the spirit RATHER than the flesh and we stay in our full armour (Ephesians 6:10-18).

We ALL get tired in the battle, myself included! In addition to the above Scriptures to encourages us, we can also wait on the Lord to renew our strength, so that we will mount of with wings of an eagle, run and not be weary, and walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).  Amen? Amen!

Well, BCU family we have to get ready to wrap things up, but Nehemiah has plenty more challenges for us to explore and apply to our lives in the remainder of chapter 4, so please stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, there are additional podcasts for you to enjoy–you are welcome to peruse the BlenCouragesU.com site 24-7!  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 iTunes.

Before you go, please comment below and tell us what are your favorite Scriptures to encourage you?

Until we are together again,  thank you for stopping by and may God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you! #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

 

BCU

 

 

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