Quotation Saturday

Pss. 74:20 “Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.”

OFFEND

“We cannot choose who offends us, but we can choose how to respond when we are offended.” 
― Moffat Machingura

“You may not be able to do anything about how you feel; but you can do something about how you act. People will definitely offend you willing or unwilling by their words and actions...but you can choose to let that offence sink you down or not....” 
― Israelmore Ayivor

“Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word.” 
― George R.R. Martin

“Sensitive people are the most genuine and honest people you will ever meet. There is nothing they won’t tell you about themselves if they trust your kindness. However, the moment you betray them, reject them or devalue them, they become the worse type of person. Unfortunately, they end up hurting themselves in the long run. They don’t want to hurt other people. It is against their very nature. They want to make amends and undo the wrong they did. Their life is a wave of highs and lows. They live with guilt and constant pain over unresolved situations and misunderstandings. They are tortured souls that are not able to live with hatred or being hated. This type of person needs the most love anyone can give them because their soul has been constantly bruised by others. However, despite the tragedy of what they have to go through in life, they remain the most compassionate people worth knowing, and the ones that often become activists for the broken hearted, forgotten and the misunderstood. They are angels with broken wings that only fly when loved.” 
― Shannon L. Alder

RESENT

Never judge someone's character based on the words of another. Instead, study the motives behind the words of the person casting the bad judgment.” 
― Suzy Kassem

“Only those who are in-charge are tackled and criticized by others so criticism is something desirable and should not be resented.” 
― Emmanuel Moore Abolo

“Beware of those who steer you away from your heart’s true happiness. It would make them happy to see you steer yourself right next to them, sitting with both your hearts bitter.” 
― Suzy Kassem

GOSSIP

“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” 
― Socrates

“How would your life be different if…You walked away from gossip and verbal defamation? Let today be the day…You speak only the good you know of other people and encourage others to do the same.” 
― Steve Maraboli

“Isn't it kind of silly to think that tearing someone else down builds you up?” 
― Sean Covey

“Often those that criticise others reveal what he himself lacks.” 
― Shannon L. Alder

RESPECT

“The truest form of love is how you behave toward someone, not how you feel about them.” 
― Steve Hall

“If the traditional Rs (reading, writing, and arithmetic) are the basics that we want our children to master academically, then reverence, respect, and responsibility are the three Rs that our children need to master for the sake of their souls and the health of the world.” 
― Zoe Weil

“Respect for right conduct is felt by every body.” 
― Jane Austen

“After all, everyone may not start with the same financial opportunities; however everyone does start with the choice to live their life with integrity, trust, love, respect,understanding for each other and oneself.” 
― Tasha Hoggatt

Truth

Pss. 25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Truth

The truth shall set you free. Ever heard that one before? A lot of people think they are speaking the truth when in essence they are spreading gossip and enjoying the falseness of a twisted truth.

The definition of truth is this:

the true or actual state of a matter:

a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like:

an obvious or accepted fact; truism; platitude.

honesty; integrity; truthfulness

I watch helplessly as people proclaim knowing the truth, spread it around like salt on ice, preach it as if they themselves were the Lord of all knowing. This is sad. I watch as people lie for a laugh, make fun of people to get a rise out of the sinful because there is no way the Christian will sit and make fun of people and enjoy the laughter. Or would they?

These so-called Christians give real Christianity and all the positive aspects of being a true Christian a bad name. God does not lie, Jesus does not lie, so when I say a so-called Christian I say so because these people think that lying is part of their Christian belief system thus mocking Christianity and all of the goodness it serves in society.

I am a sinner. Have I ever lied? Yes I have. But do I spew lies to get people talking just so they like me and I’ll seem popular? NEVER! My soul is worth much more than freely giving in to the vermin of society who need lies to form the person they are. I am a changed woman because of my Christianity. I’m not the same person I was and to me, these so-called Christians are the same people they always were just with a title attached to themselves to be more likeable.

They come in sheep clothing; appearing to be all good and gooey inside like the chocolate covered cherries?  But in the end, those chocolate covered cherries are bad for you no matter how good and tasty they appear. People have allowed themselves to be the worm on the hook. They’re bait and the innocent fish devours the bait. The man holding the rod? Well he’s just an innocent man wanting to eat you is all. Sounds good doesn’t it?

John 14: 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The Way -- meaning by LIVING and believing

The Truth -- meaning not through lies or deceit

The Life -- meaning eternal life

I do love the way that people twist the truth to fit their agenda. An example, the media starts to breed the hate, the suckers eat it up and spew it out for those who do not care for hidden agendas, but by dangnammit, they’ll make you care because after all, they read it, it must be true so spew away, getting others to feed with you. Little lost sheep is what I think they are. I lose all respect for the lost ones. I’ll still care to see them do right but I am not the one who can change a person.

I think it’s a sad day when a man must use manipulation to get HIS truth out there. We as a nation are in a battle with the evil one and it is our duty to fight the dark that wants to swallow us whole.

Do you not see that by spreading propaganda, you are doing the dark ones work? You’ll even have yourself believing it is for the greater good but satan knows otherwise and so does God. He’s shaking his head thinking after all He has done for this world, we can still be manipulated and led by the force that causes you to gossip and twist the truth to your needs.

That’s it isn’t it? They are YOUR needs and YOUR wants, you could care less what God wants.

2 Thess. 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

Eph. 2:2-3 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

I have to take myself away from the places that try to lure me into their false beliefs. I find myself getting angry and turmoil boils inside my veins but also because I watch as my friends succumb and there is nothing I can do. They want me to partake of the anger and hatred they spew and I’ll be no part of it. I will not accept some of the liars spew because by accepting some I am accepting all.

I will bow out quietly and resurface when God calls on me. Maybe there are stronger folks who can let it roll off their shoulders but I am not that strong at this time. I’m ripe for the venom to snap at me and try to bait me. This is me being strong.

May the Lord God Almighty be with you all, even the little lost sheep. 

Just sayin'

Sometimes people struggle. They struggle with following, with believing and with faith. Sure it’s so easy to not concern yourself and just go with the flow like everyone else but let me tell you, conforming to the world makes up a good portion of the struggle.

I hear from many who say, “I pray, but He never answers,” or “I have faith, but I’m scared,” or “I believe!” but have no follow through with their belief.

Number one, when you pray, He always answers, it just might not be the answer YOU wanted, but mark my word, He heard you and answered. You need to be aware of the blessing and SEE it as a blessing, not an unanswered prayer.

Number two, having faith is just that, faith in the unknown and unexpected. Faith is NOT fearing, it is washing away all doubt in not knowing, and expecting the unexpected to happen. I say unexpected because we sometimes expect a situation to go one way (our  way) and it veers off and goes another way (unexpected, God’s way.)

Number three, you can’t just be a believer. If you sit at home with words tucked in your pocket, “I believe, I have faith, I pray, I read the bible.” To be bluntly honest here, they are empty words which equals an empty faith.

To believe, you must embrace the life God has set before you. To struggle is a part of that belief and as your ACTIONS carry you through the struggle, you will be either a stronger person or a weaker person.

Take a look at number three again. You believe, have faith, pray, and read the bible, right? But what do your ACTIONS say? Are you belittling people, ‘that good for nothing, look what he’s doing now,’ ranting, ‘can you believe this? I just had to share so you can rant with me,’ gossiping, ‘can you believe she did/said this or that?’

Feeling good getting all those pent up frustrations off your chest? Well no wonder you’re struggling. Your eyes are not on the Lord just because your words declared it. You’re struggling; fighting with the enemy and he has the upper hand because it is evident in your actions.

Now some will read this and state quite firmly, I’m not struggling. But let me ask, are you the same person you were years ago? Have you actively sought to change? Do you find yourself still hanging on the media and their words? Do you still engage at taking those words as truth then judging the person they’re speaking of?

Are you focused on God?

I can scan an entire news feed without forming a disgruntled opinion. I take my eyes off the screen, look out the window and thank the Lord for a beautiful sunrise. When I read about suffering and hostilities in the world, again, I gaze out the window to see the beauty in the day. When I see women demoralizing themselves, I pray for them, I don’t click that which satan has put before me. I’m not a ‘need to click, see, watch, laugh, judge’ kind of person. I’m a God person and everything that comes forth of me will be to glorify God. Nothing more, nothing less.

Believing and having faith is trusting that God knows what He’s doing. He didn’t need your help in creating you, He certainly doesn’t need your help in getting you to the right place on your journey.

Being a God person is knowing the difference in satan and God, period. When your eyes are always on God (although you’ll be persecuted) satan loses his strength in getting to you (not that he won’t try) but as a God person, you wield armor no other force can get through, and that is the armor of God.

Putting PHYSICAL ACTIONS behind your following, faith, belief, prayer, and what you read. Typing on a keyboard is not the physical action I’m referring to either.

Just sayin’

Nailed for You

1 Tim 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Nailed for You

My nails they drip with blood

The pain will never end

I feel no one is listening

To messages I send.

The hustle and hurried world

Goes on without a care,

Ranting about the moment

In the media blitz they share.

Gossip crawls along the floor

Then slowly up the wall

Clinging to the idle ones

I slowly watch them fall.

Was death not enough for them

Were miracles a game?

Are blessings things that they seek

On a whim in my name?

While claiming that they look to me

They’re often caught unaware

Of falling in the pit to hell

Crying out that life’s unfair.

A voice was not given you

To babble like a brook.

Life was freely given

So it’s me to whom you look.

Wasted seasons spent

On anger that you spew

Withered moments now all gone;

Away from me you drew.

The time to call is not at death

Embrace me while you’re living.

To each and every one of you

My blood is well worth giving.

Col. 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;