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Praise Song

As I read the verses that I’m going to use as the focus of this post, I have meditated on them, prayed about them, and then did a word breakdown into the Hebrew for multiple words in the verses. In sharing them, I am going to take a page from the Amplified Bible and in these verses put in brackets what I have found the rendering of the words to mean according to The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon. The more I study both the Hebrew words and letters and discover the meanings of the of both in Hebrew, it opens my eyes to see the Word in a new light that speaks to my heart in ways just sitting and reading the Bible never has. As we learn and understand the language and cultural significance of where these individual words were birthed, it allows us to have deeper intellectual and spiritual insight.

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20 You are to fear [stand in awe] of Adonai your God, serve [worship and obey] Him, cling [be joined to, keep close, and remain with Him] and swear [take the most sacred of oaths] by His name [reputation]. 21 He is your praise [praise song, thanksgiving], and He is your God who has done for you these great [in magnitude and extent] and awesome [wonderful and glorious] things, which you have seen [what you have encountered] with your own eyes [in the presence of, in full view]. Deuteronomy 10:20-21

With this form of praise, praise song, we come to the next word in Hebrew on our list of words; Tehilla. This is the praise in which we lift our voices in song and thanksgiving to Him. The Psalms is the go-to book for songs of praise, and we are commanded time and time again to sing a new song unto the Lord.

Then my head will be lifted up above my surrounding foes, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, sing praises to Adonai. Psalm 27:6

Sing praise to Adonai, you faithful of his; and give thanks on recalling his holiness. Psalm 30:4

You turned my mourning into dancing! You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my well-being can praise you and not be silent; Adonai my God, I will thank you forever! Psalm 30:11-12

Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing Praises to our king, Sing praises! For God is king of all the earth; sing praises in a maskil (instructional poem). Psalm 47:6-7

Sing to God, sing praises to His name, extol him who rides on the clouds by his name, Yah; and be glad in His presence. Psalm 68:4

Sing to Adonai a new song! Sing to Adonai, all the earth! Sing to Adonai, bless his name! Proclaim his victory day after day! Psalm 96:1-2

All these psalms were birthed out of the commands within Deuteronomy 10:20-21. They were penned out of that reverential fear and awe of Adonai, out of serving, worshiping, and obeying him, by swearing by His name and reputation, and because He had done awesome, wonderful, and glorious things that the writers encountered with their own eyes. It was then He became their song of praise,

While this instruction is found in Deuteronomy, it is seen in play well before then, back in the book of Exodus. At the end of chapter fourteen we see that Adonai had just saved Israel from the Egyptians, and verse 31 says,  When Isra’el saw the mighty deed that Adonai had performed against the Egyptians, the people feared Adonai, and they believed in Adonai and in his servant Moshe. Moses and the Children of Israel then had the first corporate praise and worship service singing, [1] I will sing to Adonai, for he is highly exalted: the horse and its rider he threw in the sea. [2] Yah is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. This is my God: I will glorify him; my father’s God: I will exalt him. [3] Adonai is a warrior; Adonai is his name. Exodus 15:1-3 As the chapter continues, they sing of all the mighty deeds of God as He brought them out of Egypt. Verse 8 describes the parting of the Red Sea like this, With a blast from your nostrils the waters piled up – the waters stood up like a wall, the depths of the sea became firm ground. The Exodus is one of the most captivating events in all of history and is probably the most talked about from the Old Testament. Centuries later, we are still caught up in the wonder of it to the point that researchers using modern technology are still searching for evidence of chariots in different locations believed to be where the crossing of the Red Sea happened.

As this song of praise is found in chapter 15, on a whim I decided to look up the numerical value of 15 just to see what I would find. And I found the word Halal, which is the root of each of the words for praise we have looked at so far.  To sound forth, sing; to make famous, to praise; to shine, to bloom; utterance, sound; renown or splendor. Another word with the value of 15 is a rare spelling of the letter Hey, spelled Hey ( ה) and Yud ( י) which means singing or lamentation. It does not matter if it is a song of joy, or one of heartbreak and sorrow, regardless of the situation, when we make Him our praise song, He will draw close to us, as we draw close to Him. Sometimes the greatest victory is birthed out of the praise of our hearts in our most broken moments. My sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God you wont spurn a broken, chastened heart. Psalm 51:17

I continue to come back to Yeshua’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. But the time is coming – indeed, it’s here now – when the true worshippers will worship the Father spiritually and truly, for these are the kind of people the Father wants worshipping him. John 4:23 We can sing as loud or soft as we choose, we can have a voice that would make Juilliard want to recruit you, or as the saying goes, not be able to carry a tune in a bucket. But unless our praise is coming from that place of spirit and truth, if our song isn’t carried in awe and wonder, clinging to Him, exalting Him with what we have seen Him do in our own lives, then it is empty words, empty melodies and offer nothing of value to Him. But when we step into that place as Moses, David, and Asaf did, we will reach His heart with our heart and He will become our Praise Song.

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The Lesson of the Carrots

                                                   

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                                                                                                                    Like a lot of people, I have a small vegetable garden. I went out today to add banana peel tea to my tomatoes (look that up if you're into gardening), checked on my bell peppers and spinach, and found that it was time for my baby carrots to be harvested. I lovingly dug each of them from the dirt and gave them an initial rinse with the garden hose.

When I brought them in, I began the more detailed work of cleaning and getting them ready for use. I was standing at my sink, cool water running over my hands and I felt Adonai stir in my spirit, letting me know that I have gone through the same process as these lovely baby carrots. When I feel that kind of check in my spirit, I stop and pay attention. I try hard to not brush off anything that the Spirit is trying to teach me, no matter how mundane, because my heart's desire is to draw ever closer to Him. To walk and live as He wants me to, and if I ignore even the smallest of parables, I'm going to miss out on something great that He wants to teach me.

We are like these carrots. He is the gardener. He sees the seeds that have been sown into our lives, watches them as they are watered and when ready for harvest He digs us up out of the dirt as we cry out to our Savior. He cradles us gently even though we have dirt clinging to us, roots that still want to go back into the ground of our life before Him, and He smiles over us, dirt and all. He washes us in the blood of Yeshua and brings us into His light, out of darkness. It is then that He begins trimming the things that cling to us away. Like the tops of the carrots and the tips with those dangling roots. When the Holy Spirit starts trimming away things in our lives, a lot of times it isn't pleasant. Sometimes it downright hurts. But as He cuts away things that are not good for us so that we can walk closer with Him, it changes the way we look on the inside and out. He then continues to wash us in that cool water from the wells of Yeshua, the wells of living water and more of the dirt that was clinging to us washes away, transforming us even more. We look brighter, we walk different, we talk different, we live different. But even then, there are areas on those carrots that the dirt is deep in the wrinkles and crevasses and not amount of water alone can remove it. It is then we break out the vegetable scrub brush and tackle those hard to reach places. Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit take a scrub bush to the hidden areas of your heart? Have you ever gone through an intense scrubbing to get an old, sinful habit out of your life? I have, and I can tell you from experience, it isn't fun when you're going through it. I remember as a child getting downright filthy and my mother scrubbing me down. It felt like she was going to scrub my skin right off, but when she was done, I was clean and felt better for being so. The same is when we let the Holy Spirit take that scrub brush to us, we work out our own salvation and get rid of what is holding us back from walking in the fullness of our calling.

After I got done cleaning the carrots, I looked at them thinking about how I was going to use them. I felt in my spirit, "Just like these carrots, when you are scrubbed clean and prepped, you are ready to feed others." Now, I am not saying that God only uses us if we are perfect, because if that were the case He wouldn't use any of us. What I am saying is that we should be striving every day to be more like Yeshua, to love as He loved, to teach as He taught, to seek our Abba Father in all things the way He did. When the Spirit of the Living God checks your spirit and says, "I need to take the scrub brush or pruning shears to this thing that is clinging to you, keeping you from the fullness of your calling", we need to pay attention and no matter how much it hurts, we need to go through that process.

Sometimes it is a refiner's fire, sometimes it is pruning shears, sometimes it is a scrub brush, but they are all for our good, because He is doing an ever continual work in us so that we can feed others, so that we can shine our light for others, and tell them the beauty and wonder of Yeshua and the price He paid for us. His name literally means salvation in Hebrew. He is mighty to save and continue His good work in you so that you can work in His garden, for the fields are ripe for harvest!

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Walk In Love

The early Christian writer, Tertullian, wrote an apologetic letter to the Roman authorities in 197 AD, asking for justice for Christians. Describing how they were perceived by the pagans around them, he wrote: But it is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead many to put a brand upon us. See, they say, how they love one another...
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7 Reasons to Celebrate our Life in Christ

7 Reasons to Celebrate our Life in Christ

Paul tells us, ALL praise to God who has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing. The 7 reasons to celebrate our life in Christ is a study of the first 14 verses of Ephesians. Click on the link below to read this life changing post.

https://www.ramckinley.com/7-reasons-to-celebrate-our-life-in-christ/

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Turn the other cheek?

What did Jesus mean when He said to turn the other cheek if someone slaps you (Matthew 5:38,39)?  Or if someone should sue you and take you shirt, we’re to give him our cloak also (Matthew 5:40)? Or if anyone forces you to carry their stuff for one mile, to carry it an extra mile (Matthew 5:41)?  How are we to interpret these verses? If we interpret them literally, Christians would be the poorest, most abused people on the planet. So what the heck is Jesus talking about? Are we not to defend ourselves? How to these passages apply to our lives?

                                           

     A good interpreter will take into consideration the following;
-the type of literature the particular scripture is in…
-the immediate context of the verse…
-are there figures of speech or idioms being used?…
-how do other scriptures apply to these particular verses?…we know the bible doesn’t contradict itself so we have to interpret a particular scripture in light of other scriptures also.

So let’s look at several of these scriptures. We’ll start with the well-known verses in Exodus 21:22-25 and Leviticus 24:18-20.  These are the verses about taking “an eye for an eye”. These verses are known as the ‘Lex Talionis’ or the law of retaliation. They imply that if someone caused you to lose an eye, that their eye should be blinded as well. But remember, this is a legal code, meant to prevent people from retaliating. It’s a way of making sure the punishment fits the crime. It’s meant to prevent people from retaliating, to let the law punish the offender by making the punishment proportional to the offense. This law only applied to the government justice system. It prevented people from getting personal revenge.

     Leo Tolstoy, a 19th century Russian novelist and social reformer, said this verse was meant to prohibit all violence, public or private, either by you, the police or the military. He went so far as to not resisting a thief of murderer. If this was the meaning of the verse (and it’s not), this would prevent us from disciplining our own children when they disobey.
The bible also tells us to ‘resist the devil’ in Ephesians 6:13 James 4:7 and 1st Peter 5:8,9. Paul resisted Peter publicly in Galatians 2:11-21. Roman 13:1-7 clearly endorses the right and responsibility of human government to resist and punish evildoers.
If someone attacks your neighbor, we’re called to defend them in Romans 12:17-21 & 1st Peter 2:21-23. What Jesus is forbidding is taking personal revenge when nothing is at stake except our pride, our reputation and our so-called rights.
Let’s be clear, Jesus is not advocating moral compromise or total pacifism. Remember, He has taught responsibility and morality. He even violently resisted the money-changers in the Temple in Matthew 21:12-17.

 

     In Matthew 5:39 notice He says when someone slaps you on the “right” cheek. When someone does this to you, they’re slapping you with the back of their hand. This is considered a degrading & insulting assault on your dignity and honor. This is where Jesus says to show them the other cheek. This is saying that you’re not offended by their action and that you’re not taking revenge on them. What would you do if someone attacked you? Defend yourself! Jesus is not calling you to be stupid when it comes to our physical welfare or that of others. He is only talking about an insult to your honor.

     In Matthew 5:40, Jesus says that “If anyone would sue you and take your tunic, you should let them have your cloak as well.” But remember, in the first century a tunic was like a shirt and a cloak was like a coat (it was also used as bedding at night). In Ezekiel 22:26,27, it says “If ever you take your neighbors cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the Sun goes down, for that is his covering, and it is his cloak for his body in what else shall he sleep.”


     If taken literally, what’s to prevent a person from demanding your shoes, socks, pants, your 401k and virtually anything else? You’d soon have a bunch of naked Christian paupers 
running around. The people in the first century understood this as meaning that even though the law protects you, it may occasionally be necessary to give up some of your possessions to a poor person. But this is a voluntary giving up on your part.

     What about Matthew 5:41 that says if anyone forces you to go one mile with him, go 2 miles. The Roman military could force you to carry their provisions for them for up to one mile. The Jews looked upon this as degrading. The point Jesus is making is to be willing to be exploited for the sake of the gospel. Go above and beyond what they are demanding of you even when it entails an unjust burden on you. But again, this is voluntary on your part.

 

     In Matthew 5:42 when Jesus calls us to “give to the one who begs and not to refuse the one who would borrow from us.” This doesn’t mean we’re to give money to anyone for anything. In 2nd Thessalonians 3:10-12, Paul says “if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” It also says in Proverbs 11:15  17:18 & 22:26 not to give to lazy people who won’t work when they’re perfectly capable to. So again, discretion & good judgement is advised.

     The last of these controversial verses Is in Matthew 5:43-48 where Jesus tells us to love your enemies. God did this with us in Romans 5:8 that says “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We are told to love our enemies because God loves them (John 3:16) and we should to. This is why, for the most part, America has treated our prisoners-of-war humanely. Yes, they’re our enemy and yes, we will fight against them in a government sanctioned war, but no we will not mis-treat them as prisoners. And we will remember that they are people made in God’s image.

     To sum all this up, these commands are illustrative of what love often does rather than what love always does or is commanded to do. Remember, you shouldn’t take a verse out of its immediate context or how it fits in with the rest of scripture.

 

For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
https://BSSSB-LLC.com

 

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The Adulteress: Caught in the Act of Sin

We’ve all sinned, but what do you do when you’re caught in the act of sin? How do you react? How do you expect others to react? In today’s story of The Adulteress, we meet a woman who waited when she could have escaped.

Backstory

We meet The Adulteress in John chapter 8, but in order for us to fully appreciate her story, we need to understand the time period in which it takes place. 

Tension was building up. Jesus was at the Feast of Tabernacles saying things people didn’t understand. None of it made sense. Many were rejecting Him. The rulers were seeking an opportunity to bring Him in for questioning, but they didn’t have just cause. It was a time of confusion and chaos. No one knew what to think. Frustrated, they waited for the opportunity to arise to get rid of Jesus so they could go back to their status quo. John chapter 7 closes with, “everyone went to his own house.”

Then chapter 8 opens with, “But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.” 

Her Story

Jesus spent the night in prayer, then early in the morning He went back to the temple. People gathered about Him, so He sat down and taught them. While He was teaching, the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. They led her front and center of the crowd and confronted Jesus.

“Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”

Jesus said nothing. Instead, He stooped down and wrote on the ground, acting as if He hadn’t heard them.

They persisted, asking Him what should be done with her.

He stood up and addressed them. 

“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

Then he bent back down and wrote on the ground again. While He wrote, they all left, starting with the oldest. When He stood back up, the accusers were gone. Only the woman remained.

“Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

As she exited the scene, Jesus turned to those who He had been teaching before the commotion and said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

The Rest of the Story

The religious leaders did not like Jesus... 

Click to Continue Reading and Listen to All God's Women Podcast Episode

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Together as the Body of Christ

This quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln is actually a word from Jesus:

"And if a kingdom be divided against itself,
that kingdom cannot stand. 


And if a house be divided against itself,
that house cannot stand
,"
Mark3:24-25, King James Version (KJV.)

Regardless of our political preferences and despite our worse fears, God's people can become one Body of Christ! Until the Lord comes again, the Family of God is the hope and the hands-on instrument of healing unity for individuals, the church, our country, and, indeed, the world. So, let's agree to:
 
Pray for wisdom!
 
Pray for the Lord's power to flow through us - mightily.
 
Pray for the Kingdom of God!
 
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8 Ways To Live A Fearless Life

The word "Fear Not" appears 365 times in the Bible. This means that every day in a year, you can take one pill of "Fear Not" knowing and trusting that God is with you always because it's His promise to you and He is a good Father. These eight (8) ways will help you to live a fearless life.

You can be fearless and brave when you put your hope and trust in God!

Fear and anxiety can last for a short time and then pass, but they can also last much longer and you can get stuck with them.  In some cases they can take over your life, affecting your ability to eat, sleep, concentrate, travel, enjoy life, or even leave the house or go to work or school.  Fear is a weapon from the devil to keep you from progressing in life to achieve your purpose. 

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The Bible says in Isaiah 43:1 - But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by by your name; You are Mine!

These are the eight (8) ways you can live a fearless life:

  1. Renew Your Mind
  • Put off concerning your former conduct (repent) and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, walking in the new life Christ has given you. (Ephesians 4:17-24) (Change your mind and God will change your heart).
  • You must daily choose to live God’s way, (Put on the new man, Romans 12:2).
  • Spiritually disciplined: participating in your spiritual growth by getting involved in the things of God, e.g. spending time with through the studying of the bible, praying and going to church.
  • Accept who you are in Christ and believe in what God has said concerning your life.
  • Focus on things that will add up to your life, not take from it.

2. The most important reason to make the right decision at the right time

In the book of Ruth, we read the story of how Elimelech decided to move his family from Bethlehem (house of bread) when there was famine to Moab.  He and both of his two sons died. Ruth, his second daughter-in-law decided to follow her mother-in-law to a strange land and make Naomi’s God her God. 

Her right decision brought her into the lineage of Christ and brought redemption for us all.  When you start to walk in God’s way, He will direct you.  If you sit back, however sorting through the options until everything makes sense, you will never discover God’s will. Proverbs 3:5-6

3. Why living without a purpose doesn't work and what to do about it

  • You allow yourself to be controlled by circumstances.
  • You are easily persuaded and controlled by others.
  • You accept and do whatever comes to your mind and move that direction.
  •  You allow people to control your life.  And live according to the way other people think you should live.
  • Because you do not have any goal for your life, you cannot achieve anything in life and you life a defeated life.

What to do

  • Go to the source of your life (God).
  • Have a personal relationship with Him.

           (Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all      things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created, Rev. 4:11).

  • Be connected to God. (Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me, John 15:4).

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4. The number three (3) reasons you must act now

  • It relieves of stress.
  • It relieves you from the uncertainties of tomorrow.
  • You are able to accomplish your purpose in life.

5. The biggest mistake of negative words and how to avoid it

Words are powerful, they create and manifest in a forms of a blessing or a curse.  So if it’s negative, it counteract the blessings of God for your life.

Six steps to live a productive life by your words

  • Take the promises in God’s word and confess it over your life every day.
  • When someone says something negative about you, immediately refuse those words.
  • No matter how your children provoke you, never curse them with your words.
  • Pray against any foundational words spoken over you by your parents, grandparents, class teacher, family member or other people.
  • Let your words be seasoned with blessings.
  • Every morning make positive declaration over your life.

6. The easiest way to guard your mind

  • Putting God first in your day-to-day life and making Him the priority of everything in your life.
  • Studying the word of God. Spending quality time with Him everyday.
  • Not living according to the dictate of this world, by comprising with things of this world

7. Three simple strategies to grow in your thinking

  •   Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength, this is the first commandment (Mark 12:30).
  • Be serviceable (love your neighbor as yourself)
  • Be teachable, fearless and brave

8. The method I used to stay positive

  • Putting God first in all that I do.
  • Having a personal relationship with Him, living daily in His presence
  • Seeing God as the source of my life and depending on Him for the answers to every question in my life.
  • Accepting who I am in Him and who He is in me.
  • Loving God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
  • Talking to Him first in every situation.

You can all live a fearless and brave life when you acknowledge that God is with you and He has promised never to leave you nor forsake you.

Let your conduct be without covetousnesss; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Get two chapters of my New Journal Fearless and Brave for FREE! Visit https://bemyneenterprise.com for souvenirs on Fearless and Brave Journal and also precious gifts for your loved ones.

This journal, Fearless and Brave helps you to reflect of your life, the pain of your past or now which is keeping you from progressing in life. There are questions and activities that will help you to think through your life.

It is a good resource for any group or groups who wants know how to live a fearless life. For the next 60 days, I'm offering a free SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT to any group who will invite me on this topic. I will show you the strategies to live a fearless life.

Life has meaning only when God is the context for it all!

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Can Blessings come out of Irritations?

It had been a lonnggg Sunday in October of ’87. Our boys of 7,8 & 9 had provided us with many irritations & frustrations. My wife and I collapsed on our living room couch, too tired to make dinner or go out for it.

     At this point, our boys announced that they were going to make us dinner. The initial look of horror on our faces prompted them to reassure us that they really wanted to bless us this way. Our oldest son, Bryan, came over to us with a dish towel over his forearm, like a hi-class waiter. He asked us what we would like for dinner. Patti & I looked at each other, then back at him and said,” What do you have?” His eyes got really big and he rushed into the kitchen to consult with his brothers. We heard them frantically talking….buzz, buzz, buzz.  He came back and said, “Chocolate covered peanuts, apple sauce, Timmy’s salad (our 7 year old), hot dogs, ham sandwich and turkey. We ordered it all.

     Our middle son, Chris, came out with the same towel wrapped over his forearm and asked us what we wanted to drink. We looked at each other, then back at Chris and said, “What do you have?”. His eyes got really big and he rushed into the kitchen to consult with his brothers….buzz, buzz, buzz. He came back out and said, “Milk, Kool-Aid and wa-ter”, in his best French accent. We went with the water for obvious reasons.


     Our youngest son, Timmy, brought out the wa-ter in 2 wine glasses on a silver platter that he single-handedly came out swinging, dipping and dancing with (and nearly causing us to have heart attacks).   Miraculously, the wa-ter made it to us without being spilled. Then they all brought us dinner on the same silver platter, without all the swinging, dipping and dancing. During dinner, Chris turned the lights down low while Bryan softly played the piano.

     After dinner, Chris announced that dessert would be ice cream or something like that. We pointed out that we didn’t have ice cream or something like that. His eyes got really big. He rushed back into the kitchen to consult with his brothers….buzz, buzz, buzz. All 3 boys came back out and announced that dessert would be hot dogs and turkey.

     After dessert, we read to you boys and put you to bed. As Mom and I came back downstairs, we looked at each other, thinking “Dare we go into the kitchen?” We opened the kitchen door and saw….the love that our boys had shown us. We decided to clean it up the next morning. We had a wonderful sleep that night.

     I guess that I shouldn’t be surprised. If God can make life-giving water come out of a rock (Numbers 2:2-11), He can make blessings come out of irritations and frustrations.

For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
http://BSSSB-LLC.com

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The mark of a man

What does it mean to be a God fearing man?

 
 
1. A man of faith
 
A man without faith will not be faithful in any regard. We must be grounded in the faith of God and share our faith with others.
“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.”
 
“The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith,no, not in Israel.”
 
2. A man worthy to lead
 
Being of male gender does not a leader make. We must be willing to speak up on injustice and stand for what is right. 
“And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.”
 
3. A man of wisdom and understanding
 
The way in which a man treats another speaks to how he views Jesus Christ and his relationship with us. The love, patience and fairness Jesus shows to us, should be returned to others.
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
 
“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”
 
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
 
4. A man of his word
 
The word of God is of utmost importance to him. In like manner, our words must be truthful to God and to our fellow man.
“An honest man is surety for his neighbour: but he that is impudent will forsake him.”
 
“Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.”
 
5. A man of humility
 
We must be willing to receive correction and do so with grace. Our humility will be rewarded by God as he will exalt us in his time. As men we may feel like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders with something to prove but God cares and will make a way.
“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
 
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
 
6. A man of sound mind
 
We have to be able to stand on the convictions God places on our hearts. The same standard we use to judge one matter should be applied across the board.
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall notwither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. ”
 
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
 
The word of God says to mark the perfect man. Mark Jesus Christ. Cry out to him in prayer as there are areas we all fall short in. Money is deceitful, and pride is vain: but a man that feareth the Lord, he shall be praised. No this is not a bible verse but it is should be the male equivalent of the "Proverbs 31 woman".  We must hold ourselves accountableFeel free to leave a comment if you have other qualities you consider important. Live in grace, walk in peace and be blessed.
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Do you feel like you can't go on?

 

There are times when we have felt that today would be our last, thinking tomorrow would never come. Anxieties of Life can weigh heavy on our Mental Health. Would you believe that you can find the Answers in the Bible to WHY you feel the way you do?

  

Please read the following scriptures. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Did you notice the first verse reads, '...in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here'? This allotment of time is a Conclusion of a System of things. This time period of distress pangs is known as the Last Days. It's not the end of the world, but rather the end of wickedness that permeates the world of mankind, righteous and unrighteous alike. This time period will soon come to an end. These anxieties you feel today will evaporate and dissolve for those who become survivors of the Last Days. Notice the instruction of what to do in 2 Timothy 3:2-5? It says, '...and from these turn away.'

  

The scriptures provide a roadmap for certain ones to escape the time of distress. "During that time {Jesus Christ} will stand up, the Great Prince who is standing in behalf of your people. And there will occur a time of distress such as has not occurred since there came to be a nation until that time..." But notice the ending of this verse. "And during that time your people will escape, everyone who is found written down in the book." (Daniel 12:1)

  

Remember, "Bad associations spoil useful habits." (1 Corinthians 15:33) "Now, O Israel, what is Jehovah your God asking of you? Only this: to fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and all your soul," (Deut 10:12) "At that time those who fear Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance was written before him for those fearing Jehovah and for those meditating on his Name." (Malachi 3:16)

  

The Bible tells us, "Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted; He saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Pslams 34:18) Also, we have a helper in the His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ whom states, "Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you." (Mat 11:28)

 
  
 

Would you like to be a Survivor of the Last Days?

 
 

Articles that may interest you:

 
 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1 (800) 273-8255

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There is only one word difference between aluminum casting and aluminum die-casting. Many people mix the two together. In fact, these two kinds of die-casting are different. In order to better distinguish between aluminum die-casting and aluminum die-casting, we will elaborate on the performance characteristics, application scope and manufacturing advantages. Explain the difference between the two. When customers buy die-cast products, they can also choose suitable die-cast products according to their own needs.

   Aluminum die-casting.

   The main raw material is aluminum. After the aluminum is heated to a liquid, it is injected into the die of the die-casting machine, and then formed by die-casting, which is the basic process of aluminum die-casting. Aluminum has good fluidity and plasticity, and is widely used in the die-casting industry. The parts made of aluminum are beautiful in appearance, the price of aluminum is not high, and the production cost is greatly reduced, which creates more wealth for the enterprise.

   Aluminum alloy die-casting.

The main production materials are alloy and aluminum. The aluminum die-casting produced has good gloss. The aluminum die-casting factory needs to be grinded after the die-casting. The aluminum die-casting adds nitric acid during the grinding to inhibit corrosion and improve the brightness of the grinding. The processed aluminum die-casting Aluminum alloy die casting is generally used in electronics, motors and other industries, with better performance and greater toughness, and is an important part of mechanical parts.

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Connecting Kids to Coverage Campaign Notes Header

  Data Report Shows Vulnerable Children and Teens Forgoing Mental Health Care During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Data recently released by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) highlights the continued impact the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is having on Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries and utilization of health services. The data show that, from March through October 2020, beneficiaries have foregone millions of primary, preventive, and mental health care visits due to the COVID-19 PHE, compared to the same time period in 2019. Although utilization rates for some treatments have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, mental health services show the slowest rebound. This decline in utilization is occurring at a time when preliminary evidence shows mental health conditions have worsened nationwide. The gap in service utilization due to the PHE, particularly for mental health services, may have a substantial impact on long-term health outcomes. Medicaid and CHIP-funded mental health services, in addition to primary and preventative services, cover the majority of children, people living in poverty, and those with special health care needs. Medicaid and CHIP also cover millions of racial and ethnic minorities.

The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign, a national outreach and enrollment initiative funded under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) and the Affordable Care Act, has recently launched a Mental Health Initiative, which includes a digital video, print materials and social media graphics that promote mental health services, which are covered under Medicaid and CHIP.

Additional Data Highlights
Specifically, the data demonstrate a 34% decline in the number of mental health services utilized by children under age 19, compared to the same time period in 2019, and 22% decline in the number of mental health services utilized by adults aged 19 to 64, compared to the same time period in 2019. This translates to approximately 14 million fewer mental health services for children and approximately 12 million fewer mental health services for adults, for a total of nearly 26 million fewer mental health services utilized across both groups. Similarly, although there are preliminary reports of increased drug-related mortality due to the COVID-19 PHE, substance use disorder service utilization fell by 3.6 million services (13% decline) when compared to the same time period in 2019. 

It is important to note that the data show that utilization rates for certain primary and preventive services for children under age 19 have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, or have started to rebound across many areas of the country. While this recovery is encouraging, millions of services still need to be delivered to make up for those missed between March and October 2020. Preliminary 2020 data shows 9% fewer childhood vaccinations for beneficiaries under age two (1.8 million services), 21% fewer child screening services (4.6 million services) among children under age 19, and 39% fewer dental services (11.4 million services) among children under age 19 when compared to pre-pandemic levels. This data takes into account increases in services delivered through telehealth.

Throughout the pandemic, CMS has encouraged states to consider telehealth options to combat COVID-19 and increase access to care. This updated data snapshot demonstrates a marked increase in the number of services delivered via telehealth compared to prior years. The number of services delivered via telehealth surged 2,700% during the PHE to nearly 68 million between March and October 2020. However, this increase has not been enough to offset the overall decline in service utilization.

For COVID-19 treatment and acute care use, the preliminary findings show more than 1.2 million Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries received COVID-19 treatment, and nearly 124,000 were hospitalized through October 2020. Despite significant variance across states regarding this data, preliminary results suggest that the COVID-19 treatment rate increases with age. In addition, Medicaid and CHIP paid for nearly 10 million COVID-19 tests or testing related services, although this data does not include tests provided free of charge or covered by other insurance programs, including Medicare.

View the press releasefact sheet and data report for additional information.

Stay Connected with the Campaign 

  • Share our Campaign materials. Our ever-growing, multi-lingual Outreach Tool Library features a variety of targeted resources to use in your outreach and enrollment efforts, available in multiple formats.
  • Contact us. To get more involved with the Campaign, contact us via email at ConnectingKids@cms.hhs.gov.
  • Follow the Campaign on Twitter. Remember to re-tweet or share our messages from @IKNGov with your social network and be sure to use our #Enroll365 and #KidsEnroll hashtags in your posts.

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The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign eNewsletter “Campaign Notes” is distributed throughout the year and provides updates on Campaign activities. If a friend or colleague forwarded this email to you, we invite you to sign up to receive this eNewsletter directly to your inbox.

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