If God Be For Us...

Scripture: Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Note: There are tons of hyperlinks in today's post so click and see!

Inspiration:

From the moment we awake and even as we sleep, we have an enemy that is meticulously plotting our demise. In the beginning of the bible, this enemy is described as a "subtle serpent" and by the end of the bible, this "serpent of old" has morphed into a dragon. Similar to sin, if we willfully bask in it, it becomes a more powerful stronghold in our lives. However, this enemy, this charlatan who boasts "like a roaring lion" may seem a bit intimidating at first, but be assured, if you invite Jesus Christ to be the LORD of your life, the TRUE Lion, The Lion of Judah, Jesus, invites you to walk in victory with Him!

If we fast forward a bit more, we learn the fate of our enemy:

9 They (Satan & Co.) went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where[b] the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  Revelation 20:9-10

Now, those who don't know God as a lover...as LOVE incarnate, as a Redeemer, Giver, and as LIFE itself, may read the above scripture and think, "Oh my! God is so meeaaann to throw those devils and false prophets in a never ending pit of torment along with Satan for all of eternittttyyyy!" 

And my response to you would be... 



Who are we to limit God? If a potter creates a vase, can that vase then make demands of its creator? Can that vase expect to be anything but grateful for an opportunity to be? God is whoever He says He is, not who we want or expect Him to be. We should rejoice in the fact that God is so Mighty, Powerful, Merciful and Loving! My God is gentle and merciful, but He ain't no punk and He will not be mocked! If we choose to walk with Christ, He promises that we will have eternal life and NO ONE will be able to touch that or separate us from Him and his love! He tells us that our enemies will come at us one way, and flee from us seven ways!  So essentially, if you want to be victorious in this life, then walk with the one who created you, heaven and earth! Walk with the one who loves your soul! If you be with Christ, then He is with you, and no weapon formed against you shall prosper. 

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Shout out to Craig R. who posted a perfectly articulated contemplation on Facebook, Sept 4, 2014:

I would love to meet this god who hates nothing, doesn't believe in consequence, believes that what makes me happy is right. I would love to meet this god who will change if I tell him to, while accepting anything that I give to him. He will not make me deny who I want to be in order follow him (actually my thoughts become his thoughts and my ways become his ways). I'd love to introduce this god to Jesus Christ and watch him bow and confess too. 

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Task of the Day: Weapons will/have form(ed) against you today. You may even get nicked if your armor isn't securely fastened. However, you are not predisposed to succumbing to injuries inflicted by these weapons! For today's T.O.D., be with God. Talk with Him throughout the day. Recite memorized bible scriptures. Casually speak scripture while in conversation with colleagues, friends and strangers. Think about how good God is and how blessed you are. Thank God for all good things throughout the day. Simply BE with God and He will be will you, and if He be for you then...
#TODforGod #BetterLover

"God is Awesome" Photo of the Day: 

Photo Submitted by +Wendy M. of Rhode Island

Bonus T.O.D.: I'd love to add your photos to future blog posts! Take a photo of something amazing that reminds you of how AWESOME God is and send it to me @ joniquesimpson@gmail.com with the subject line: "Matthew 6:33". 

Love Them Back to Life

Scripture:

Luke 6:31 KJV
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.


Luke 6:31 NIV
Do to others as you would have them do to you.




Inspiration:
Caught up in my own stuff, I almost didn't post today. In the middle of scooping myself some ice-cream, giddy with anticipation, the LORD spoke to my heart, "Didn't I tell you to do something?"

Dag. My bad, LORD. I'mma do it!

Today's T.O.D. is an imperative word from God and also fitting considering our commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..

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I was won to God by a former colleague, +J Curtis , who was unrelenting in his Christ-like love towards me, despite the fact that I treated him as an enemy. I was cold, rude, and condescending. I murdered him behind his back, yet I was deceitfully charming if such was conducive to personal benefit or gain. For two years straight, in the midst of my onslaught, he remained steadfast in his love. He continued opening doors for me, greeting me with a genuine salutation of peace, and continued to converse with me as though the LORD Himself had both tamed his tongue, and transformed his heart.

Although I did not immediately recognize or acknowledge his Christ-like actions and love in the moment, when I was in the spiritual space to learn more about God, this colleague had developed a reputation of having integrity and showing love (which confused me at the time), and this piqued my curiosity. How can one man withstand so many darts of wickedness? How can one person show love to someone who has just spat in his face?!

This love shown towards me was as a mirror, allowing me to see myself. This love not based in conditions was something unlike anything I had ever seen. I came from a school of what goes around comes around,  I'm gonna treat you how you treat me, and most popularly, let me treat you like crap so that I don't have any problems out of you later!

Such a toxic perspective promotes negativity. A simple "hello" can be misconstrued, taken out of context, and lead to offense when we operate in a "Well, you did it to me first/I did X because you did Y"  type of mentality. Such conditionality is a gateway to an unlove that reverberates throughout time and space. How can I love you, if I don't know how? What does it look?

How much more powerful would it be to love the unlovable? How much more power is there in blessing those that curse you and pouring love into those that desperately use you? What if, in the midst of pain caused by another, we extend a hand, understanding the high probability for rejection, yet walking and being led by the love of Christ.

You hurt me, you stepped on me, you gossiped about me, you cursed me, you ignored me, you abused me, you lied to me, you betrayed me, you sold me out for 30 pieces of silver, you laughed at me, you scoffed at me, you hurt my feelings, you lead me on, you let me down, you discouraged me, you cheated me, you murdered me...

And yet...

I love you.

You were convicted guilty of committing a crime in which the punishment was death. And yet, I love you enough to die in your place. I love you so much that I will die/died so that you may live.  

I love you back to life.

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According to the WORD of God, we have been instructed to: LOVE LIKE THIS and LIKE THIS.

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TASK OF THE DAY:

Think of someone in your life that treats you or someone else unfavorably. Think of someone that you may interpret as short tempered, disgruntled, angry, or bitter. Recognize (but don't necessarily articulate) these as symptoms of a deeper pain. This may be a  close associate, a friend, or maybe even a relative. Think of someone that at one time or another, treated you as though you were an enemy. This person should have done XYZ better, but he/she didn't. Love anyhow.

Your task for today, and everyday afterwards is to LOVE IN THE MIDST OF.... Love this person in word,  thought, and action, in the midst of their drama. Don't go all Dr. Phil on them, attempting to assess the source of their unlove. Simply love and don't grow weary of loving.

There is transformative power in and through the love of Christ Jesus.

 



#T.O.D.forGod
#BetterLover