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DISCOVER AND LIVE PURPOSE – 1️⃣ purpose identified.

Did you miss the lesson in verses 1-8 of Mark chapter 1? We are ALL created with a mission (not impossible). Know yours, and many things will fall in place. Don’t know how? Read previous post.

PSST – SIDE BAR Someone asked me a question. She asked if it is possible to hear God if she isn’t Christian. I told her that it is possible because Saul, when he was struck with blindness, wasn’t yet a disciple (Acts 9:4-6). Ask God to speak to you and He will.

After Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan (by JtB), the Holy Spirit drove Him to the mountains for seclusion and what the world might call programming. This was after He obeyed the prophecy of baptism by the messenger before Him. So pleased was God that as soon as He came up out of the river, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, and God declared His pleasure, “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

For 40 days and 40 nights Jesus was practically ‘seasoned’ in a holy experience of what I’d call prayer, and ministry by the angels. Expect a fast to be a time of refreshing, and programming and temptation. 😏

Jesus fasted and afterwards was tempted (if you haven’t already read it, go read Matthew chapter 4 – to be covered in another Bible Study).

It is worthy to note that this account in the book of Mark says that shortly after, John was imprisoned. While in prison I’m sure it was virtually impossible to continue to baptize anyone in the Jordan so maybe he did it another way, but the Bible doesn’t say so. I’m just wondering out loud in print. 

Jesus then went from Judaea to Galilee and preached the message of repentance. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel.” If you are hearing it (somewhere else), and reading about it, this, I believe one purpose we all have is to preach the gospel and get others reconciled to the family we should belong to. No one should be left behind. 

It is written (in the Bible) in 2 Corinthians 5 17 “… if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, …”

SO… purpose numero uno for ALL CHRISTIANS is to preach the gospel to the ones who don’t know it, so they can be reconciled with our Heavenly Father. 

ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN worshipping God in spirit and in truth? If you’re not sure then my friend, you ain’t. Talk to Him and tell Him you want to return. Listen out for His voice and He’ll lead. Juuuust follow. You know it’s Him because He never leads you to do what’s wrong. He won’t ask you to wrongfully affect another human being just so you can touch His heart. He’ll give you a heart for others (a heart of flesh – Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh).

Let me know if you did. I’ll throw a virtual praise party for you.

By the way, there are some who’ll argue that this is not a purpose for them. Let me clarify. If you think deeply about how we came to be created, how limbs and organs function – you know it’s not a bang, or evolution or some gobbledygook. There must be someone greater and so far I believe it can only be God. I think when we realize this, we should do what He says. I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of His love.

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The Prodigal's Letter

Dear God,

I don't know why I left in the first place. I thought Your rules may have been too strict and I thought I could do it by myself.

The first shock was finding out that people let me down - they were only there when I was on top. Then I found that that You had been the one looking after me day and night. Remember how I cried when I got robbed? I only fell asleep when You calmed me down.

I had another shock when my stash of money dwindled lower and lower until I had to dig around in the trash for something to ease my growling tummy. You remember that girl who I once gave a lot of money, how she laughed at me when she caught me hands in the trash can right?

While sitting on the cold, hard floor under the bridge I realized I could just give You a call because Your hand has always been stretched toward me. I called, and You answered. Tbh I wasn't sure you would because if You were me I would not answer me.

You forgave me Lord, thank You so, so much. You brushed the dirt and grime off me and gave me a job. I've grown much wiser since I started talking and listening to You.

Stay with me Lord, and never let me walk off track again. All my life I will tell everyone what You've done for me.

Speak to You again soon. I honestly can't thank You enough.

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DISCOVER, KNOW, AND LIVE YOUR PURPOSE 

Pray: O Lord, as I read Your word, cause it to alight on me bringing me transformation in Jesus's name. [Isaiah 9:8 KJV The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.]

MARK Chapter 1

…starts by reminding us that God had told us that He would be sending a messenger to announce and prepare us for the coming of the Messiah who would save us.

Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, ...behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

John who is called the Baptist (JtB), was the messenger preparing the way by baptizing people and preaching repentance. He wielded a lot of power and I know this because the Bible says that all the land of Judaea came out to be baptized. That’s amazing. POV – imagine that in today’s world, a person has so much power that everyone comes to see them. Rich, poor, tall, short, influential – all kinds of people really. Owners of companies, government officials, domestic staff and so on. It does happen. Imagine Naaman’s household staff telling John that Naaman had leprosy. Imagine Esther’s handmaids telling him, “You’ll be shocked – she makes us fast for days without food.” Imagine if an unruly man had all that information at his disposal. He’d use it very, very unwisely. 

God is all-knowing and had told John’s parents that he would “be great in the sight of the Lord, and …drink neither wine nor strong drink…” (Luke 1:15 KJV). 

Now imagine if JtB was sitting in a mansion receiving the rich, powerful, and influential men of Judaea. Wouldn’t it be said that they were funding his lifestyle? Nahhh. This John was in the wilderness, “preaching the baptism of repentancefor the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4). There must be something about being in the wild, connecting with nature, living a somewhat deprived life while depending totally on God for life and living. David and Samson lived it for a period of their lives. 🤔 The report says in verse 6 that John “was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about hisloins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey.” Totally dependent, and uncaring of what people might see him as is what I think he was.

John totally understood the assignment. Baptize people in water, preach repentance, get them to repent, prepare them for someone greater who will complete the reconciliation to God. He was doing his job pretty well I’d say. Verses 7-8 say He “preached, saying, there cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”

Indeed, when Jesus did show up, he too was baptized (fulfilling prophecy). Now imagine if Jesus, knowing He is all-powerful, decided to act off script and show His might. There might have been a display of divine ego and earthly ego. Ugh!!!

He would not have agreed to be baptized by a ‘lower person.’

He certainly would have objected to being baptized in the River Jordan.

He could have derailed his mission.

The point is, Jesus and John understood and did what they were meant to do. That brings me to us – you and me. In our defence (some of us) we don’t know what our mission is right? I speak to me too as I write this.

Discover your mission on earth by asking the Holy Spirit. I once heard someone say they figured out what they needed to be and do by

Praying in the Spirit (in tongues) for hours, asking God to open their scrolls and impart them with the knowledge.

Read the parable of talents in Matthew 25:14-30, find prayer points and communicate with God who made you.

Fast if you feel led while doing a and b.

Keep a journal next to you while praying and record anything that could give you clues.

✋🏻🛑 STOP. Read the rest of Mark 1. We'll talk about it another read. I pray you got transformed today for the better. Have a blessed day.

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Everyone may forget BUT God does not forget you

There are times when I feel so helpless and alone. But Isaiah 49:15-16 says “…YET WILL I NOT FORGET THEE… thy walls are continually before me”

When I remember 👆🏼even with all that’s going on, I feel a bubble of excitement - God knows and does not forget me. Woo hoooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

My walls (my situation) is always before Him. Your situation is always before Him.

Praise the Lord. We are not alone.

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Part II - factor #2

What you’re really good at can affect you for good or bad.

Soooooooooooooo, Daniel was de facto prime minister over and over and over again. He was great at interpreting dreams. Loved for it by the kings, disliked because he outshone others. Good pattern, no problem.

Daniel 2:48 KJV Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel 6:1-5 KJV It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; [2] And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. [3] Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

[4] Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. [5] Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. …

By the way…

if you read all of Daniel 6, you’ll see a pattern repeated. Daniel could not be faulted so the enemies attacked his stance of non compromise - his service to God. IF ONLY WE COULD GO BACK TO HISTORY BEFORE WE DO STUFF right??

Darius “the king, when he heard these words, was sore ae displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured af till the going down of the sun to deliver him.” (Verse 14). What had he heard? All the other folk jealous of Daniel reminded the king that the law couldn’t be changed so, off to the lion’s den Daniel went. Bad pattern repeated (the first is in the previous post).

Like Shadrach, Meschach, and Abed-Nego, God saved Daniel… and did to his enemies what He (God) does to wicked people (ANOTHER PATTERN).

👉🏼Finish the chapter to get el juicy bits.

Conclusion ~ 1️⃣Daniel was really good at dream interpretations, and his gift was rewarded with the best leadership role time and time again. 2️⃣Wicked people are really good at being bad, and they pay dearly for it - sometimes with their whole families.

Who else in the Bible got blessed by what he was great at? Good, and bad? Let me know.

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Part I

Daniel was not a threat until King Nebuchadnezzar (we’ll call him KN) gave him great honor above people who considered themselves to be great in their fields of astrology, star-gazing, and ‘science.’

Daniel and his 3 friends (Daniel 2:17, 48-19) had been set in high positions of power.

KN made a gold effigy and expected everyone to worship him. BUT, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego chose to worship the One above KN.

Sycophants and others who envied them snitched and told KN “these guys don’t respect you, O great king.”

KN was livid, and had them thrown into a fiery furnace.

You know what happened next right?

Read 📖 Daniel 1-3 for more context but know this…

💡Patterns against you may begin in places dominated by a religion, or culture other than yours, or where you are more talented, or have favor above others.

See next post for part 2

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Same God… still rules

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Be encouraged…

Has anyone stolen from or duped you?👆🏼

The Bible says they are doing it to themselves and it will cost them their lives according to Biblical principles that say…

Zechariah 5:3-4 KJV [3] Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. [4] I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

God is a just and righteous God.

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No other.

The Lord is God. He made the skies and the earth. He put the earth in its place. He did not want the earth to be empty when he made it. He created it to be lived on.“I am the Lord. There is no other God. I have spoken openly, not in secret. I did not hide my words in a dark and secret place. I did not tell the people of Jacob to look for me in empty places. I am the Lord, and I speak the truth. I say only what is right.

~ Isa.45.18 - 19 ERV

Read… and learn how great God is

Amos 4:13 NIV [13] He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth---the Lord God Almighty is his name.

Amos 4:13 KJV [13] For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name.

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There are different accounts of creation BUT whatever they are, the question that resolves any conflicts around creation and evolution is…

Who made whatever anyone is talking about?

AI says “The universe, including Earth, is thought to have originated from the Big Bang, a massive explosion that occurred about 13.8 billion years ago. This initial explosion sent matter and energy expanding, and over time, this matter coalesced into galaxies, stars, and ultimately, planetary systems like our own.”

The question any sensible person should ask is - Who made whatever exploded, the matter and energy and even the time within which “this matter coalesced into galaxies…” 👆🏼

Upon reading https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/what-was-before-the-big-bang-everything-you-need-to-know my question is WHAT MADE WHATEVER?

We’re alive today and can see that there is literally nothing in say, the space before our faces. Can we make another world out of the ‘nothing’ before us? NO!!

But the Bible tells us that in the beginning, God, whose Spirit hovered over a formless type of void spoke the world into existence.

THERE IS NO DISPUTE - God said let there be all we see, and it is. Not us, nor the Big Bang theory, nor anything else can create what God has made, as He made it. Period!!!!!!!

Genesis 1:1 KJV In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

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Get rid of the burden of guilt TODAY, right now if you can.

Tell God all about it and ask Him to forgive you.

Micah 7:18 NIrV LORD, who is a God like you? You forgive sin. You forgive your people when they do what is wrong. You don't stay angry forever. Instead, you take delight in showing your faithful love to them.

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How to live as a Christian in a world of mixed multitudes

Psalm 101:1-8 CJB

I am singing of grace and justice; I am singing to you, ADONAI. I will follow the path of integrity; when will you come to me? I will run my life with a sincere heart inside my own house. I will not allow before my eyes any shameful thing. I hate those who act crookedly; what they do does not attract me. Deviousness will depart from me; I will not tolerate evil. If someone slanders another in secret, I will cut him off. Haughty eyes and proud hearts I cannot abide. I look to the faithful of the land, so that they can be my companions; those who live lives of integrity can be servants of mine. No deceitful person can live in my house; no liar can be my advisor. Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, cutting off all evildoers from the city of ADONAI

As Christians, we should have integrity and be known for it. That means…

we are sincere, honest and truthful in our dealings

we do not do what the worldly people do in business, and in relationships with others

we are surrounded with people of like character / nature - people with integrity

we keep away from deceitful, and lying folk

Read Psalm 101 - any version (I read a few versions) and my heart beat wildly. Sometimes we keep certain friends around knowing they are not like us. We really shouldn’t because the Bible tells us that evil communication corrupts good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33 NET [33] Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals.").

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Wake up and become…

the great person you are meant to be.

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God says: I don’t do halfway miracles. If I started it, I’ll finish it. —God