5782: The Year of Release

We're approaching the Hebraic New Year. 5782 is  a Shmita Year. Shmita literally means ‘release.’ Commonly translated as the ‘Sabbatical Year,’  During this Year of Release the Torah mandates that the land is left fallow, debts are forgiven, and a host of other agricultural and economic adjustments are made to ensure the maintenance of an equitable, just, and healthy society.  

The sabbath year, also called the sabbatical year is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle . Traditional teachings about shmita shed light on contemporary issues, including rest and work, relationship to land, relationship to community, relationship to debt and debt relief, definitions of community, inequality, and the issue of consumption itself. (Reference: www.myjewishlearning.com) 

Schmita begins September 7, 2021. May the Year 5782 be your Year of Release! May you cease from toiling without reward. May you enter into a season of rest. May you release debts and forgive. May you be forgiven debts, transgressions and offenses. May your God-ordainrd relationships be reconciled. May your financial debts be forgiven. MAY STUDENT LOAN DEBT BE CANCELLED‼🔥 May there be a divine transference of wealth to Kingdom Citizens. In His name.  Amen.

Biblical Affirmations of Identity

I Am bold as a Lion. Proverbs 28:1

I Am the light of the world. Matthew 5:14-16; Acts 13:47

I Am the apple of God's eye.  Zechariah 2:18

I Am seated with Christ in heavenly places. Ephesians 2:4-7

I Am a child of God. John 1:11-13

I Am loved by God.  Romans 5:8; 1 John 3:1

I Am strong and courageous. 2 Tim 1:7; Joshua 1:9

I Am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 2 Cor 5:21

I Am a royal priesthood. Revelation 1:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9

I Am a joint heir with Christ.   Romans 8:16-18

I Am the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I Am fearfully  and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

I Am dead to sin.  Romans 6:11-14

I Am an overcomer. 1 John 5:4-5; 1 John 4:4

I Am more than a conqueror. Romans 8:37-39

I Am born of the imperishable seed.  1 Peter 1:23

I Am a new creature in Christ.  2 Cor 5:17-18

Lessons from the Book of Job: The Hidden Sin of Pride

Job is an unusually upright man. His conduct is above reproach. Yet calamity befalls him.  In those  days, it was  believed that if something bad happened to a person  it was due to their sins. But Job 2:3  is often interpreted  to mean  God allowed bad things to happen to Job without just cause. How could a righteous, just God do such a thing? 

What if we interpreted this scripture differently such that God is telling Satan "You presented a case, made a request concerning Job but presented no evidence to support your case  in order for me to grant that request yet I did so anyway" [to serve My ultimate purposes and plans].

Simply  because satan presented no evidence doesn't mean there wasn't just cause for the testing of Job. God has a reason, a cause, a righteous cause,  a just cause for everything God does. Stay with me. Satan sees behaviors. He doesn't judge the hearts of men. God knows Job's heart. Perhaps Job had a heart condition that could only be addressed and resolved through  testing.

So what may have been Job's heart condition? We often talk about Job perhaps being fearful and that fear may have opened the door to calamity. That's a good argument since Job says "the very thing I feared has come upon me. " But the challenge with this argument is that scripture does not tell us that Job is restored after he took heart, had faith, believed, etc. Scripture tells us after Job HUMBLED himself he was restored. Was Job- the man described as perfect and upright, prideful? 

Perhaps Job was perfect in all his WAYS and yet flawed in his THOUGHTS.  His defect is not one of outward action but of inward thought, especially in how he perceived himself in relation to God, but also to fellow man. Perhaps there was a seed of pride hidden deep within his heart that was unearthed and plucked out through the process of trials and tribulations.

What evidence is there to support this? Job 29 tells us how Job sees himself and how he sees himself in relationship to others. Yes, his behavior is above reproach. But he exalts himself  by using "I," "me," and "my" more than forty times in this very short chapter. 

Job 9 tells us how Job sees himself in relationship with God. It's almost as if Job thought God was accoubtable to him instead of his being accountable to God. In chapter 9 Job complains that what he is enduring is completely and totally unfair and that God is wrong in permitting it to occur.

Job eventually surrenders to God and is humbled before the Ancient of Days. Then and only then is he restored. A lesson we often miss in the book of Job is  true success in life comes from humbly submitting ourselves to God. How we perceive ourselves in relation to God and others matters and indicates our level of true humility.

Prayer:

God I thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made in Your image. I praise You. You are the Ancient of Days. You are the all wise, all-knowing, ever present, all-powerful, true and living God. God see me through the blood of your Precious Lamb. Forgive me all my sins. Blood out my transgressions. Lead me in the way everlasting for your namesake glory and honor. 

God forgive me for pride and stubbornness. God visit the foundation of my being. Cleanse my paternal lineage and my maternal lineage from the spirit of pride. Reconfigure my very DNA to mirror that of Yeshua Hammashiach. Oh Lord my God however the spirit of pride has manifested in and through my life deliver me. Set me free. Break me out of the bondages of pride. Place your hook in the nostrils of the spirit of pride and pull it out of my mind, thoughts, heart, emotions, desires, will. 

Lord, cause me  to boast in You and You alone. Cause me to know at the deepest level of knowing and understanding that without You I am nothing, have nothing and can do nothing. Lord expose and pluck out every seed of pride that seeks vain glory. Lord expose and pluck out every seed of pride that would cause me to be unteachable, inflexible, unapproachable, off putting, self-protecting, puffed up and resistant  to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Deliver me from every form of pride that thinks it knows better than You and those You have set in authority over me. 

Lord, deliver me from every form of pride that would cause me to have a wrong view of myself and my relationship with You and others. Grant me the grace to trust and obey You and to humbly submit to Your sovereignty in all things. God Grant me the grace to esteem others above myself. Deliver me from every form of religious pride, legalism, and self righteousness. 

Lord, wherever I've been defiled by the spirit of pride cleanse me. Cleanse my robe of righteousness and garments of salvation. Lord clothe me in humility. Let the fragrance of a broken spirit and contrite heart be upon me and emanate from deep within. May humility within me and upon my life be a sweet smelling savor unto You. May the essence of my being attract the Presence, Your favor and the favor of divine connections and destiny helpers. In Jesus" name I pray. Amen.

A Father's Day Blessing for the Fatherless Child

May you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior early in life. 

May you be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

May you be affirmed in your identity in Jesus Christ. 

May you rest in a spirit of adoption into the family of God. 

May you be led by the Holy Spirit and live as a son/child of God. 

May you move, breathe and have your being in the Lord. 

May you bear much fruit of temperance and self control. 

May you be holy and live a consecrated life. 

May you walk in  purity and chastity. 

May you step into into your calling and genius at an early age. 

May the Lord load you with His benefits, meet you at your points of need and supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory. 

May all that is needful for your care and upkeep be provided. 

May you lack no good thing. 

May the Lord raise up godly men to mentor you. 

May the Lord raise up father figures to affirm your identity. 

May you receive divine immunity from the effects of fatherlessness by the grace of God Who is the Everlasting Father.

 

May you never be a negative statistics. 

May you be protected by God and God's angels. 

May you feel safe and secure. 

May no evil eyes look upon you or evil hands touch you. 

May you walk through life with a divine sense of purpose. 

May you prosper and be in good health- spirit, soul and body. 

May you operate in an excellent spirit. 

May you have good success in everything you put your hands to in holiness and  righteousness. 

May you love, honor and obey those God places in authority over you. 

May you be raised up to break generational curses in your family. 

May you be satisfied with longevity and fulfillment. 

May your star always shine brightly for the glory of God.

You are blessed in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Check Your Drip!

I love young people and urban culture. Heck I love old and middle-aged people and rural and suburban cultures. I think I just love people and culture- period. Young, urban people are full of life, creative and a bit edgy- just enough to guard against stagnancy. 

I was recently out at a store and heard one of the young men tell his friend "man check her drip." He was admiring this sister's attire who was carrying Hermes, wearing Burberry, and walking in Christian Louboutins. I think she had a little Cartier, Chanel, and Patek Philippe sprinkled in as accessories. 

"Drip" and "dripping" are words  popularized by Atlanta, GA rappers such as Gunna and Young Thug.  If you're  "dripping" it means  you wear "drip." Drip is high end clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc.

"Drip" is beautiful and nice to enjoy. As Believers,  before we put on any other "drip" we should focus on robing ourselves with the virtues of God. Apostle Paul encouraged the church to do so in Colossians 3:12-14. 

"You are always and dearly loved by God! So robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark of true maturity." TPT

Paul lists some of the virtues of the Lord all of which we should emulate. We're reminded in this text that the Lord is: 

Holy

Merciful

Industrious

Understanding

Selfless

Compassionate

Kind

Collaborative

Gentle

Humble

Unoffendable

Patient

Forebearing

Empathetic 

Family-oriented

Kingdom-minded

Forgiving

Merciful

Loving 

What are you wearing today? Check your "drip"!

No Other Help I Know

God usually wakes me with a song in my heart and on my lips. I wake up singing unto the Lord. This morning's song is a hymn- "Father I Stretch My Hand to Thee". 

I LOVE hymns. This one immediately brings several scriptures to mind- Psalm 121:1; Psalm 46:1; Psalm 25:5;  Hebrews 12:2. I'm sure as I sing it and meditate on the words other scriptures will drop into my spirit. I encourage you to read these scriptures, meditate on them, read the below pasted lyrics, meditate on them, write down other scriptures which come to mind, read them, and meditate on them.  As you meditate on the Word of God, REST in God's presence. 

As you meditate on God's Word, my prayer for you is that you will: 1. Taste and see that God is good. 

2. Receive fullness of joy and the manifold blessings of God. 

3. Receive the mind of Christ, heart of the Father, and an appetite and passion for God and the things of God. 

4. Be positioned, pruned, and empowered to bear much fruit of the Spirit

5. Be strengthened in your faith to operate in the gifts of the Spirit. 

In Jesus name. Amen. Shalom!

Words: Charles Wes­ley, A Col­lect­ion of Psalms and Hymns 1741.

Music: Na­o­mi Hans G. Nä­ge­li. Ar­ranged by Lo­well Ma­son, 1836 

Father, I stretch my hands to Thee,

No other help I know;

If Thou withdraw Thyself from me,

Ah! whither shall I go? 

What did Thine only Son endure,

Before I drew my breath?

What pain, what labor, to secure

My soul from endless death! 

O Jesus, could I this believe,

I now should feel Thy power;

Now my poor soul Thou wouldst retrieve,

Nor let me wait one hour. 

Surely Thou canst not let me die;

O speak, and I shall live;

And here I will unwearied lie,

Till Thou Thy Spirit give. 

Author of faith, to Thee I lift

My weary, longing eyes:

O let me now receive that gift!

My soul without it dies! 

The worst of sinners would rejoice,

Could they but see Thy face:

O, let me hear Thy quickening voice,

And taste Thy pardoning grace.

Listen to the Morgan State University Choir's rendition of this beautiful,  timeless hymn: https://youtu.be/Z8PkINdctoM

In His name,

Dr. Lyn 

A Word for April 2021

A Word of Exhortation and Instruction for Relationships in April 2021- "I am the God that healeth thee." Exodus 15:26 

April  is a favorable, providential, advantageous, promising, heaven-sent, opportune, suitable, well-timed month for healing in every area of our lives. 

In the area of relationships: 

1. April is  a favorable time for inner healing from soul wounds. This will positively impact how you see and relate with self and others.  Engage in a period of introspection and self-reflection to capitalize on this opportune time for inner healing. 

2. April is a promising time for reconciliation and the restoration of loving, generous, considerate and pleasant interactions within broken marriages, families, and god-ordained relationships. With sincere effort, yesterday’s missed opportunities for reconciliation can become today’s achievement. It’s never too late. Pray for peace and wisdom. Believe and hope for the best. Take action, reach out, and extend the olive branch. 

3. April is a heaven-sent time for the roots of rebellion and stubbornness which yield fruit of  dysfunction in marriages, families, and god- ordained relationships to be plucked up. Trust God to break the cycles and patterns of loss, sorrow, and unfavorable conditions and outcomes that began as a result of these sins.

4. April is an opportune time for  repairing the breaches which have negatively impacted your relationship with the Lord. Be intentional about nurturing a more intimate relationship with the Lord. As you draw nearer to the Lord, He will repair the breaches and make things right.

Be determined to receive your breakthrough during this providential time for healing. Confess your sins. Ask God for forgiveness for you and your relations. Be remorseful. Plead the blood of Jesus which says "not guilty" and silences the accusations of your adversary. Speak topical affirmations from Scripture over your lives. Repent. Take Holy Communion. Renew your covenant with the Lord. Receive afresh  the Lord's pardon and power for salvation, deliverance, healing and restoration.