SUP With Me: Words of Inspiration

re·as·sure/ˌrēəˈSHo͝or/verb past tense: reassured; past participle: reassured

say or do something to remove the doubts or fears of (someone).

Joshua 1:5 (KJV)

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

After Moses’ death, the Lord spoke to Joshua, commissioning him to lead the people of Israel to the promised land. There’s no question this was a tall task but the Lord reassured Joshua that he would be with him through this task, just as He was with Moses.

Naturally, we as humans analyze situations and tasks that we may be expected to complete or accomplish. When there is another person involved who was in the position that we are taking over, we may find ourselves trying to live up to the same performance or level in which that person operated. If we feel that we are not qualified to replace this person or if we think their shoes are too big to fill, fear and doubt may try to creep in and deter us from achieving what it is the Lord wants us to. I’m sure these same thoughts or feelings may have crossed Joshua’s mind but his confidence rested in knowing that the Lord Himself spoke to him and expressed that He would never leave nor forsake Him. Just as Moses had support, help and strength from the Lord, Joshua would have the same.

Let us take on every new task or challenge, knowing that as believers in Christ Jesus, He will be there to lead, guide, strengthen and encourage us to accomplish what has been set before us.

SUP With Me: WORDS OF INSPIRATION

1 Samuel 12

Samuel informed the people of Israel of their disobedience unto God. He identified their sin of idol worship and how they had forsaken God and His commandments. He made it known that in their hearts, they desired man’s voice and direction over God and this led them to operate in disobedience.

Samuel reminded Israel that God has always been faithful to deliver them, but it would require them to turn from their wicked ways and evilness. He let them know that their reconciliation with God would require their repentance and faithfulness to live in obedience to God.

1 Samuel 12:14-15 NIV

¹⁴ If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! ¹⁵ But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.

God is not interested in us just hearing or reading His word, but He wants us to read, hear and follow His word.  It does not profit us to just read and hear the word, and be negligent in responding to what has been released. When we read God’s word, we can see that every time He spoke a word it was also followed by the manifestation of that in which He spoke.

Unfortunately, so many times we as people desire to hear good things about what God can do, but often find ourselves in a world of mess because of the inconsistency and lack of obedience to carry out that in which He has commanded of us.  When this happens, we will feel that the circumstances that arise have left us alone and without God, but this is not true. The truth is that when we position ourselves to only hear and read what God has said, we remain stagnant, without following through. Then we ourselves turn and forsake God in pursuit of selfish gain, idol worship, vanity of the mind and actions being fulfilled. It is our obedience to God that allows us to see the manifestation of His promises in our lives.

The great thing is that God’s promise is that He will never leave nor forsake us, even if we have turned away from Him. God is willing to forgive, restore, mend and increase us. However, this will require our participation of Acknowledging the fact that we have forsaken God and placed other things, thoughts and people in the way and now we must Repent. Our sincere Repentance is what positions us in the place for God to hear us and turn His face toward us, that we may receive His help. We need God’s help at every point in our lives to walk in Obedience. For our obedience is a Love song to the Lord our God that He delights in!

It is never too late to acknowledge our sin, repent and turn to God. God is waiting and willing, but we must humble ourselves in obedience to His word and desires for our lives. This is the only way that we will receive and live in the promises of God! We can do it! 

Christ Jesus died for ALL, therefore before His death ALL were dead.

2 Corinthians 5:15 (KJV)

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

We are made the righteousness of God only through one and that is Christ Jesus. We are not self sufficient, but do need the help of our Savior. It is only with God that ALL things are possible. It is only with Jesus that it is possible to enter into eternal rest and the everlasting Kingdom of God.

Your salvation is vital and we pray that you will open your heart to receive this truth and accept the free gift from God to you, made possible through His son Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9-10 (KJV)

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

SUP With Me: Words of Inspiration (KIDS’ EDITION)

Proverbs 3:11-12 NIV

¹¹ My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke

¹² because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

In this scripture Solomon is speaking to his son about God’s discipline. He states that the Lord disciplines those he loves, to sum it up correction is an act of love. We have to understand this because we might not want to receive the correction or discipline that is given to us.

Also, this goes with our parents because they correct us too. They do this in love because they do not want us children to go down the wrong path and that’s what they are supposed to do. So, I hope you receive this message and remember that discipline and correction come out of love.

SUP With Me: Words of Inspiration

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

In current times, it is extremely easy to be involved in or exposed to things that are the opposite of honest, just, pure, lovely and of a good report. Honestly, everywhere we turn these contraries are present in our everyday life. Daily we encounter people who are not honest, we witness acts that are unjust and there is a very high percentage of reports we are exposed to through media that are focused on the negative of this world.

We must make up our minds to place emphasis on the positive things while refraining from the negative. The negative things always seem to be the most entertaining and interesting. This is where the trick lies. The enemy wants us to believe that we can engage and entangle ourselves within these negative things and still remain focused on God at the same time. The elusiveness of this is very subtle in nature and may have us astray and out of the true will and plan of God for our lives.

So, focus on the positive things, those things which come from above and that are described to us in His word.

SUP With Me: Words of Inspiration (KIDS’ EDITION)

Genesis 21:1-2 NIV

¹ Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had promised. ² Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.

In this scripture we see that Abraham and Sarah wanted a son but they had to wait to get their child that they wanted. In order for them to wait they had to have faith that God would fulfill his promise and give them a son. So, that’s what they did. This is a great example for us because God may promise us something but we might have to wait for a long time and we have to have that faith. So, I hoped you received this message to have faith with what God is going to do, no matter how long it may take.

1 Timothy 2:5-6

⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

John 15:13

¹³ Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:16

¹⁶ You have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained (appointed) you, that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever you ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.

Jesus is the one and we should be eternally grateful. If it were not for the love of God toward us then we would have never had a chance of redemption through Christ Jesus. We are chosen by God and made Holy and Righteous through His son Jesus. We are sanctified and covered through the blood of Jesus and made worthy, all through His sacrifice for us!

Jesus has made it possible for us to bear good and acceptable fruit through His indwelling in us. When we abide in Him, He will abide in us, making it possible through our submission unto Him to bear the fruit in which He manifested while on earth. For God’s word has made it clear that we are identified through the fruit that we bear.

We desperately need Jesus for He alone is the only one that can present us as faultless before the throne of God. Believe in this truth and not that in which the world presents. There is only one able to redeem, there is only one that is your direct access to God the Father and it is Jesus Christ the son of man, our salvation!

Make sure that you commit your life, ways and motives to the one, Jesus Christ, then shall you ask and it will be given unto you!

Acts 1:8

⁸ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The last words spoken to us by a person before their departure, whether temporarily or permanently (death), are usually the words or phrases that we remember first or the best. In the book of Acts, Jesus’ last words prior to his ascent into heaven, gives us a clear understanding of the purpose of His chosen apostles. “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (From Acts 1:8). The disciples, now apostles, were given clear instructions to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, by witnessing to the masses across the land.

This statement is significant in doing our part as Christians and is the last thing Jesus spoke prior to His departure to heaven from this earth. In his last statement, He provided the apostles with encouragement with the promise of power through the Holy Spirit, and the task at hand for them as His followers. In these current times, we too must remember and hold on to Jesus’ last words spoken. We have work to do as His believers and followers of Christ, serving as His witnesses until the day He returns. So, let your light so shine that the world may see and hear the goodness of the Lord to the ends of the earth. What has He done in your life? Tell it! What have you seen Him do in someone else’s life and circumstances? Tell it! The Holy Spirit was given to us to strengthen, lead and guide us as witnesses to this world about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

John 15:2

² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Seasons come and go and there is a guarantee that nothing will be the same when transitioning from one to the other and as each season reoccurs year by year. Flowers may bloom with more buds the coming spring season, the leaves on the tree may be a little fuller and provide more shade this year or the grass may be a bit greener and feel like a lush carpet under your feet. Season by season can also result in a negative aspect of these changes. The flowers could wilt this year instead of bloom, the tree could lose it’s leaves without return of new replacements and the grass could become diseased and have brown patches throughout. Either way, seasons produce what they will in the duration in which they are present.

There’s one thing common about all these examples. Actions of preparation must take place before entering into the next season. In order to maintain and improve on the positivity of the former examples or recover from the negativity of the latter examples, a process must be completed to ensure the next season will be better than the last. This process doesn’t only relate to the things of nature but also to our spiritual life. The Lord wants the best for us and wants to see His children flourish and produce fruit, if we let Him. Don’t continue to carry the old or same fruits from season to season, let God prune the old from your spirit so you can reap what it is He has for you. What He will allow to come forward in our lives is on a much larger scale than what we can even imagine for ourselves. You cannot move to the next chapter in life if you keep re-reading the previous one(s).

Jesus showed His love for man despite their impurities, in this I find no charge.

Jesus submitted His life to completing the will of His Heavenly Father, in this I find no charge.

Jesus was willing to be persecuted, beaten, talked about, mistreated, all for the sinner man, in this I find no charge.

My life lived apart from Christ Jesus, charge found,

My life following the lust of my flesh, charge found,

My life lived disregarding the finished work that Christ Jesus completed for me, charge found.

Christ Jesus has done what no other could ever do, He paid a price that no one could ever afford, no not one. Christ Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for a lost soul like me to be saved, set free, healed and delivered. He is the very bridge that has reunited me to my Holy and Righteous God. It is through the blood of Jesus and His sacrifice, that I and those that choose to believe in Him, are received as Righteous, Upright, a Child of God, Redeemed, Beautiful and Chosen. Ephesians 1:4 “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy blameless in His sight.” It is through Christ Jesus that we are sealed, have salvation and the promised Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus we are created new, sanctified and set-apart for His will and purpose.

So, if anyone should have been found guilty it should have been me. If anyone should have been crucified because of sin, it should have been me. Thanks be to the Lord of my salvation. Thanks be to God for sending His son to display His love for me. Thanks be to Jesus for living as the light, pure, Holy, Righteous and perfect without blame. Thanks be for Christ Jesus hanging on the cross to bear my sin and yours. Thanks be to God for rising on the 3^rd day with all POWER and AUTHORITY in His hand. Thanks be to Jesus for being the truth, the way and the life. Thanks be to Jesus for Eternal Life!

A charge Jesus took for you and I all because His love was and is greater, stronger and powerful to conqueror and withstand all things, that we may be ALIVE in Him!

To read about Jesus Christ’s accusations, crucifixion and resurrection, read John chapters 19-21.