Tag: sow

Bottleneck

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Hi Peeps,

Today’s Quote

“God will not let your tests overtake you. Conversely He will not bless you with more if you cannot maintain what is already in your possession.”~TB

Notice

Have you ever noticed a pattern where certain opportunities seemed block for one reason or another? Well, it’s not always an oppositional offense, but rather, unfinished business. If you are experiencing a cork in your situation, check your work. A wise employer will not overload you with new assignments if your old ones are withering away at your desk. So if you’re looking around for your next step in life, make sure you’ve done that God has asked you to do.

Get it Done

Whatever it is that you are tasked to do, do it and do it well. Holding onto one assignment and expecting another to follow before you’ve finished your work is a foolish practice. Don’t waste your time dreaming about the next thing, when today’s work is still unfinished. When your work is done, then you can reap the benefits of a job well-done. In order to do this, step aside from your pride, ask God what needs to be done, and get to it.

Today’s Question

What unfinished business is bottlenecking your next assignment?

Enjoy the reading

Ecclesiastes 10

1 As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.
2 A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one.
3 You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street!
4 If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.
5 There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake
6 when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth.
7 I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants!
8When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
9 When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax.
10 Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.
11 If a snake bites before you charm it, what’s the use of being a snake charmer?
12 Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words.
13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness;
14 they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future.
15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home.
16What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning.
17 Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.
18 Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.
19 A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!
20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said.

Right Now

tarynbarnesLeave a comment

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Hi Peeps,

Today’s Quote

“Don’t get so caught up in waiting to act at the perfect moment, because life is happening right now.”~TB

Half-Truths

Be careful with whom you listen to or what you tell yourself because half-truths will have you waiting until it’s too late to experience God’s joy and peace. Society, the opposition, and an undisciplined mind will lull you into a false sense of complacency if you don’t know the Truth. Nothing is perfect and everything won’t always come easy, which is why you must till your own soil in all seasons.

Missed Opportunity

If you obsess over tomorrow and dwell on yesterday, you will miss your opportunity to sow your harvest. Avoiding the present will leave you unprepared for famine, keeping you beholden to corrupt leaders. Friends do not be misled. Work today to secure you tomorrow as empty excuses do no cloth backs, feed bellies, or warm houses. God’s Promise is live right now. Walk with Him to remove the scales from your eyes so that you can experience His Will for your life.

Today’s Question

Are you with God right now or are you waiting on tomorrow and complaining about yesterday?

Enjoy the reading

Ecclesiastes 2

1 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless.
2So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?”
3 After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.
4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards.
5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees.
6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves.
7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me.
8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!
9 So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me.
10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors.
11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.
12 So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king? ).
13 I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness.
14 For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate.
15 Both will die. So I said to myself, “Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!”
16 For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten.
17 So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
18 I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned.
19 And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless!
20 So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world.
21 Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy.
22 So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety?
23 Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless.
24 So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?
26 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

 

Be Cool

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Hi Peeps,

Today’s Quote

”All things work as God intended, so till your soil, chill out, and be cool.”~TB

Resources

Each day presents new opportunities and challenges. You have a finite amount of resources to till the soil and plant the seeds of your future harvest. The devil’s job is to get you off task and he doesn’t play fair or nice. In those moments, you have two options: be cool and plant Godly seeds, or give in to the chaos and plant seeds of discord. While the opposition will lead you to a poisoned well, you make the choice to drink the poisoned water. No matter which path you choose, the results will show your deeds.

Results

You can only fake your results for so long. Don’t forget that wheat and tares grow together and cannot be distinguished until harvest time, so don’t be fulled by growth. Come harvest time, God will show you whether you’ve been cool or not. Just because you have not yet reaped your harvest— good or bad— does not mean that God is not watching. If you’re cool, He will reward you. If you’re not, well, you reap what you’ve sown. Perhaps if you repent and let God work in you, He’ll hook you up in the next season. So be cool, honor God, and do your work.

Today’s Question

Are you being cool yet?

Enjoy the reading

Proverbs 9

1 Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns.
2 She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table.
3 She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come. She calls out from the heights overlooking the city.
4“Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says,
5“Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.”
7 Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt.
8 So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.
9Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.
10 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
11 Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life.
12 If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.
13 The woman named Folly is brash. She is ignorant and doesn’t know it.
14 She sits in her doorway on the heights overlooking the city.
15 She calls out to men going by who are minding their own business.
16 “Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says,
17 “Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!”
18 But little do they know that the dead are there. Her guests are in the depths of the grave.

 

 

 

Wicked

tarynbarnesLeave a comment

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Hi Peeps,

Today’s Quote

“The reign of the wicked has come to an end. Because you hardened your heart to the Lord, He will snuff you like a candle”~TB

Crushed

This is your judgment:

Because you have crushed the poor, the oppressed, and the helpless, God will crush you like a vintner pressing grapes. Because you built your home off of the backs of slaves, God will enslave your mind and you will toil in confusion, ultimately causing your own demise. The very ideas and schemes that created your wealth will create your everlasting poverty. You will spend the rest of your natural life begging for help from whom you’ve oppressed. It will be humiliating and you will lose heart. You wicked child, why did you turn your back to the Lord? He loves you so, yet you rejected Him and consecrated with evil and witchcraft! Not only did you follow evil yourself, but you seduced your bedfellows to follow too! Your sins will not go unanswered.

House of Cards

The palace of evil that you stole for yourself crumbles down around you. Like a house of cards, your facade and fake lifestyle fall away, revealing your ugly soul. Your ill-gotten gains slip through your greedy fingers like sand in an hourglass. Your vile pride will turn into soul-crushing fear, which will eat at your spirit. Oh, how I fear for you who tolerate and embrace Jezebel and her repulsive ways. I’d pray for you, but I am not allowed. I tried to warn you, to spare you from suffering. Why did you prey upon the innocent? Why did you enslave your brothers and sisters? Why did you not heed the message? God gave you many chances. He even spoke to you directly but you did not listen! He even sent me to you and you mocked Him! Now the time has come to reap what you’ve sown.

Exposed

Your evil deeds that were done in darkness will now shine bright in the light. You will drink the wretched cup of poison you’ve created for yourself. What once made you beautiful will make you repugnant. Everyone will see you for who you really are, and they will recoil from your hideousness. There is nowhere to hide, you’ve made your bed. You will go mad from your embarrassment and shame, and it will all be done in public. Did you really think God would allow your reign forever? You and your bedfellows will be cast out into the wilderness, where your crown of thorns will slip from your face and pierce your eyes. Your blindness and punishment are set in stone, but this judgment will not last forever.

Repent

Do not look to me for a good word, because I have none. Though this brings me no joy, I can no longer intercede for you. You will not escape your fate. But God is merciful! If you leave your Jezebel ways and repent, God will spare you from the ultimate judgment. But because you sacrificed your inheritance for self-idolatry and self-worship, what was supposed to be yours will go to the next in line. Your descendants will not suffer from your wickedness for they are innocent of your crimes. God has spared them and they will flourish and will pick up their cross and will run their race, in spite of you. This will eat at you until your last breath. The damage to your earthly inheritance has been done. Turn back to the Lord, so that your eternal resting place is secured.

Today’s Question

Will you give up the spirit of Jezebel or will you suffer her fate?

Enjoy the reading

Psalm 90

1 Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! 
2 Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. 
3 You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals!” 
4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. 
5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning. 
6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered. 
7 We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. 
8 You spread out our sins before you— our secret sins—and you see them all. 
9 We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan. 
10 Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. 
11 Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. 
12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. 
13 O LORD, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! 
14Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. 
15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. 
16 Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. 
17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!

Diet Bible

tarynbarnesLeave a comment

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Hi Peeps,

Today’s Quote

“When you fail to read the Word for yourself, you fall prey to false leaders who give a flattering message that waters down the Truth. Let’s call it what it is, a lie!”~TB

Lullalies 

Today’s culture wants a surgary interpretation of God’s Truth. You want the inheritance, blessings, and mercy. Yet, you hate His discipline, correction, and Truth. False teachers, leaders, preachers, line up to give you their “good news” and because it’s easier to swallow, you blindly eat it up! Friends, anything outside God’s truth is a lie! Beware of leaders who weep for buildings, but not for their flock. Beware of seers who sing sweet words when in actuality we are being warned! Do not let anyone tell you differently.

Sleeping Awake

Because you refuse to understand the Truth on your own, you are asleep at the wheel, failing to understand what is going on around you. Do you honestly think that the destruction occurring worldwide is God’s way of “bringing us together”? No, it is the judgment we so richly deserve.  If this message offends you, good! It means there is still hope. Don’t look to me, look at the Bible and you will know what you are reading is true. Or, stay asleep and reap the judgment coming due.

Today’s Question

Are you ok with the diet bible answers that lead to destruction or are you ready for the Truth?

Enjoy the reading

Psalm 85

 

1 LORD, you poured out blessings on your land! You restored the fortunes of Israel. 
2 You forgave the guilt of your people— yes, you covered all their sins. Interlude 
3 You held back your fury. You kept back your blazing anger. 
4 Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more. 
5 Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations? 
6 Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? 
7 Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. 
8 I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. 
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory. 
10 Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! 
11 Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven. 
12 Yes, the LORD pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful harvest. 
13Righteousness goes as a herald before him, preparing the way for his steps.

Imitation

tarynbarnesLeave a comment

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Hi Peeps,

Today’s Quote

“Listen carefully to what people say. Pay even greater attention to their actions, because though wheat and tares grow together, only one produces good crop.”~TB

Glittered Feces

The world is full of cheap imitations, claiming they love the Lord. They loudly sing and dance, putting on a great show. They are captivating and alluring in this way. In the beginning, it will appear as though they are devoutly spiritual, as they smile and say the right things. Their lives seem opulent and for a time, they will appear to be prosperous and divine. But in time, their evil deeds will outshine their false personas, revealing that their treasures and virtues are simply just gold-plated crap. When you carefully inspect the cheap knockoffs, don’t be surprised if the smell is more than you can bear.

Leap to Destruction

Oh you foolish people, do you not see that you are dancing your way into the mouth of hell? Is the party that great that you’ve abandoned the Truth? You temporarily took the peace of Christ, but you rejected His teachings. So you pretenders, actors, and thieves, enjoy your feasts, your parties, and your fanfare. The curtain is coming to a close and the crops will be separated from the weeds. Friends, pay attention because the imitators do not truly know the Lord. And soon, it will be made apparent that He does not know them either.

Today’s Question

Are you devouring the truth or are you feasting on the crap fed to you by the imitators?

Enjoy the reading

Psalm 83

1 O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God. 
2Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up? 
3 They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones. 
4 “Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence.” 
5Yes, this was their unanimous decision. They signed a treaty as allies against you— 
6 these Edomites and Ishmaelites; Moabites and Hagrites;
7 Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites; and people from Philistia and Tyre. 
8 Assyria has joined them, too, and is allied with the descendants of Lot. Interlude 
9 Do to them as you did to the Midianites and as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River. 
10 They were destroyed at Endor, and their decaying corpses fertilized the soil. 
11 Let their mighty nobles die as Oreb and Zeeb did. Let all their princes die like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 for they said, “Let us seize for our own use these pasturelands of God!”
13 O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind!
14 As a fire burns a forest and as a flame sets mountains ablaze, 
15chase them with your fierce storm; terrify them with your tempest. 
16Utterly disgrace them until they submit to your name, O LORD . 
17 Let them be ashamed and terrified forever. Let them die in disgrace. 
18 Then they will learn that you alone are called the LORD, that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth.

Strange

jonmbarnesLeave a comment
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Hi Peeps,
Today’s Quote
“Live your life in a manner in which God lights up the room and not your sad stories of gloom and doom, that you enjoy sweeping up with your wicked tongue, like a witch’s broom.”  ~  Jon Barnes

Broom

Lying, cheating, stealing, and being disobedient to God and His Commandments is just like practicing witchcraft.  Your tongue can sow clean, fresh seeds of kindness, happiness, and fruitfulness into the air, with good business and ethics or you, can spread a lot of dust, dirt, and allergens into the air, making people sick with coughing up germs and spreading them all around the world. 

Witch

It doesn’t make sense to spin negative plots and plans of unhappiness into the world since you will pay for what you are doing.  Which reward do you prefer, hell, a witches reward or heavenly, a reward for the obedient child of God?  There are only two options on the menu in lieu of your options for eternal life and you will pay for the witch meal that you ordered.  Don’t sweep your love for God under a rug!

End

Your life should look, smell, and taste like which meal you ordered and prefer.  Don’t be fooled by the propaganda of evil people, just because your witch meal comes with a 5-star restaurant rating or a happy meal with a two for one twist.  Learn and trust in God’s meal plan for your success and life’s decisions for your own family and eternal destination.  In the end, you must eat properly to digest the commandments of God, in love with your good works.  You are what you eat.  Fake food, restaurants, and meal plans will burn with you in hell, as you follow the witches broom of spells, potions, and spirits of destruction and evil.
Today’s Question
Which are you a witch for satan or a worshiper in God’s Kingdom?
Enjoy The Reading
 

Psalm 32 

A psalm of David.

1 Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude
6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place;
    you protect me from trouble.
    You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude
8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
    I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
    that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
    but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
    Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Love,

Jonathan

Limitations

jonmbarnesLeave a comment
wall-644468_1920.jpgHi Peeps,
Today’s Quote
“Once you really believe that your limitations in life are like an ant in this world, then God  can speak to you and show you the importance of listening and not talking so much.”  ~  Jon Barnes

People

People want to know more about you but the information needs to be presented in a way they can understand and receive it.  Raw data is useless in the hands of a fool searching for information out of context, with no relevance or substance.  You personally add to your sorrow by not minding your own business and letting God do the teaching, judging, and correcting of others. I had to learn how to stop “playing God” as if I have all knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. You have enough on your plate to do already. 

Children

As a parent, children must be guided, protected, and corrected so that they understand the rules, procedures, guidelines, and protocols of prosperity.  However, kids must mind their own choices to reap the things they sow, each second of their lives.  Teach children to sow what they need and they will reap what they really want. Don’t sow your negative words, thoughts, and ideas at people just because you are hurting and confused.  Sow love, forgiveness, kindness, meekness, long-suffering, gentleness, joy, peace, and patience into your family so that you can prevent the devil from uprooting your farm and crop.

Adults

As a mature adult, I still don’t know what I need, but I believe God does.  I remain as a Child in the eyes of God so that I may sow what I need to get what God wants me to have.  This is what I really want.  I don’t want what I think, because I’m not smart enough to think or do the correct things all of the time.  So, if I allow God to show me everything each day, every hour, and second, then perhaps I will make fewer mistakes and become more helpful with how I love people as myself.
Today’s Question
Am I so smart that toilet paper is hanging outside my pants, while I’m walking down the street, yet I don’t believe God when He shows me a picture of myself in the mirror?
Enjoy The Reading
 

Psalm 22

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Doe of the Dawn.”

1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
    Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
2 Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
    Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.
3 Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 Our ancestors trusted in you,
    and you rescued them.
5 They cried out to you and were saved.
    They trusted in you and were never disgraced.
6 But I am a worm and not a man.
    I am scorned and despised by all!
7 Everyone who sees me mocks me.
    They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
8 “Is this the one who relies on the Lord?
    Then let the Lord save him!
If the Lord loves him so much,
    let the Lord rescue him!”
9 Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb
    and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.
10 I was thrust into your arms at my birth.
    You have been my God from the moment I was born.
11 Do not stay so far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and no one else can help me.
12 My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls;
    fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!
13 Like lions they open their jaws against me,
    roaring and tearing into their prey.
14 My life is poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
    melting within me.
15 My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
    My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
    You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.
16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
    an evil gang closes in on me.
    They have pierced[a] my hands and feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
    My enemies stare at me and gloat.
18 They divide my garments among themselves
    and throw dice[b] for my clothing.
19 O Lord, do not stay far away!
    You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!
20 Save me from the sword;
    spare my precious life from these dogs.
21 Snatch me from the lion’s jaws
    and from the horns of these wild oxen.
22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.[c]
    I will praise you among your assembled people.
23 Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!
    Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
    Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
    He has not turned his back on them,
    but has listened to their cries for help.
25 I will praise you in the great assembly.
    I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied.
    All who seek the Lord will praise him.
    Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
27 The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
    All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
28 For royal power belongs to the Lord.
    He rules all the nations.
29 Let the rich of the earth feast and worship.
    Bow before him, all who are mortal,
    all whose lives will end as dust.
30 Our children will also serve him.
    Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
31 His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.
    They will hear about everything he has done.
Love,
 
Jonathan

 

Hurt

jonmbarnes1 Comment
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Hi Peeps,
Today’s Quote
“We hurt ourselves when quality time is not spent on doing our own homework, preparing our food, fixing problems, resting, reflecting, learning new things, and following the truth about God.”  ~  Jon Barnes

Rob

We rob God all of the time with our laziness, money, lack of quality, honesty, behavior, thoughts, and lack of prayers in doing the good work assigned to us.  When we are given instructions each day, your faith is activated by the amount of work you have completed and shared.  Otherwise, we can become trapped in the renters market mentality, being denied homeownership, personal buy-in, along with the scandalous economic banking business process.  The current system is designed for you not to own your own home or business unless you rise above the hurdles and challenges before you. God knows how!

Activation

Faith without your own “HOME” work is dead and empty.  Faith is like a credit card with an activation sticker and a phone number to call for action.  Unless you make the call to activate the card, it will not work. You must hear God say, “your card is activated for yourself.”  When you call on God, you are activating your faith with action, so that you may complete the work, hear His voice, and grow in love.  Your credit card is unlimited as long as you obey the rules and commandments that are stated in the Bible, your public policy book.  When you break the rules and operate your lifestyle in a negative way with poor cash flow, your daily actions compound your problems like the black hole.

Signature

Now, you must also put your name on God’s credit card to authenticate and seal the deal.  Stop hurting yourself.  Pick a pin number and begin shopping for your spiritual wisdom, knowledge, and gifts to help others.  Use the card to buy supplies needed to share the Gospel of Christ and God will teach you about the business of reaping and sowing.  Your quality work pays for your bills and the extra profit is for savings, investments in the kingdom, and management for future activities. Giving 10 percent back to God is like earning rewards points for the future budget.  The church is your friend, so take it with you everywhere you go!
Today’s Question
Will you continue to rob God of quality time, faith, work, and sincere effort?
Enjoy The Reading
 

1 Chronicles 12 

Warriors Join David

12 These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; 2 they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin):
3 Ahiezer their chief and Joash the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berakah, Jehu the Anathothite, 4 and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty warrior among the Thirty, who was a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,[a] 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Ishiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam the Korahites; 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
8 Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains.
9 Ezer was the chief,
Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third,
10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,
11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,
13 Jeremiah the tenth and Makbannai the eleventh.
14 These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. 15 It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
16 Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”
18 Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:
“We are yours, David!
    We are with you, son of Jesse!
Success, success to you,
    and success to those who help you,
        for your God will help you.”
So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.
19 Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”)20 When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. 22 Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God.[b]

Others Join David at Hebron

23 These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turnSaul’s kingdom over to him, as the Lord had said:
24 from Judah, carrying shield and spear—6,800 armed for battle;
25 from Simeon, warriors ready for battle—7,100;
26 from Levi—4,600, 27 including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men,28 and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family;
29 from Benjamin, Saul’s tribe—3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to Saul’s house until then;
30 from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans—20,800;
31 from half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king—18,000;
32 from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;
33 from Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty—50,000;
34 from Naphtali—1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;
35 from Dan, ready for battle—28,600;
36 from Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle—40,000;
37 and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon—120,000.
38 All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. 39 The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them. 40 Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.
Love,
Jonathan

Sharing

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Hi Peeps,
Today’s Quote
“It is hard to care, give, and share when you have nothing to show for your hard work and efforts.” ~ Jon Barnes

Nothing

I get nothing when I’m lazy, so I push myself to do the work God has for me to do each day and I reap what I sow. It is just that simple. Do the process and the work that is required and God will bless you, if you don’t faint and give up. You will be always be tested and it is not always easy, but the rewards are a lot of fun and full of joy.

Happens

Nothing happens by itself. God is the author and finisher of our faith so buy the book, go by the book, and enjoy the study of biblical contentment. Good things begin to happen by your work with your faith in God.  Stop eating your seeds and plant them in fertile ground.  Water, weed and protect your investment in God. Your love for God is all you need, so let Him guide you on your journey.

Godliness

The Goodness of God opens doors you just cannot see coming. This is how God shares His plans for you.  If the door is closed, it is for a reason. We are ants and too small to see anything above our heads. Yet, God still provides for us and gives us opportunities to improve, help, grow, learn, and share the Lord’s Prayer to all who will listen, hear and do. Be thankful that you were called to share the goodness of Jesus in your humble lifestyle of faith and good works. 
Today’s Question
Is your lifestyle worth sharing with other people or are you still at step one?
Enjoy The Reading

Visit of the Queen of Sheba

10 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord,[a] she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind. 3 Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, 5 she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the Lord.
6 She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements[b] and wisdom is true! 7 I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. 8 How happy your people[c]must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! 9 Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”
10 Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds[d] of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11 (In addition, Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood[e] and precious jewels. 12 The king used the sandalwood to make railings for the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before or since has there been such a supply of sandalwood.)
13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land.

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

14 Each year Solomon received about 25 tons[f] of gold. 15 This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land.
16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than fifteen pounds.[g] 17 He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing nearly four pounds.[h] The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
18 Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. 19 The throne had six steps and a rounded back. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne.20 There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!
21 All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!
22 The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[i]
23 So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.24 People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. 25 Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
26 Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses.[j] He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.[k] 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt[l] and from Cilicia[m]; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. 29 At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver,[n] and horses for 150 pieces of silver.[o] They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.
Love,
Jonathan