Tag Archives: Bible References

Redeeming the Time: Making Every Moment Count

Posted on by yolandaberry
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11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed Rom 13:11

When I was leaving work, I was so frustrated and aggravated that it took two hours instead of my average half-hour to forty-five minute commute. Nothing feels worse than wasted time.

Time is a commodity. It’s more valuable than money. Money can be lost or gained but time cannot be replaced. Only with God, who is not restricted by any single moment, can redeem the time.

When I was younger, I never understood or realized the value of time but as much as I feel that time was wasted, there is a divine timing and purpose for everything. Despite the setbacks, delays or stagnation, there is purpose in all of it.

There was a recent plane crash in Brazil reported on the news. The video featured the plane spiraling out of control. They interviewed one person who was late for his flight and was not allowed to board the plane which saved his life.

There were also countless stories that took place during the World Trade Center attacks where people did not go into work that day or was running late which saved their lives.

9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

Prov 16:9

So whether commuting in traffic or traveling abroad, timing can literally be a matter of life or death. You must trust that every delay, missed opportunity or setback will train, equip, guide, protect, develop or teach you something that will move you forward to the next phase of life. However, we must be diligent and wise on how we use or spend our time.

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,
    but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

Prov 21:5

There are three major time wasters that you should pay attention to.

Procrastination

Procrastination is a definite time waster because you continually put off what needs to be done. When you deal with procrastination, there is an underlying issue that needs to be addressed whether it’s emotional, psychological,or mental.

When you deal with uncomfortable or overwhelming feelings, you tend to put things off. This is the devil’s playground because he never wants to see you accomplish anything. His main mission is to kill, steal and destroy which also includes stealing your time.

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

John 9:4

Laziness

Slothfulness is another time waster. You cannot accomplish anything if you’re lazy or weary so having stamina, energy, and enthusiasm is a priority in completing tasks. Motivation and inspiration is based on feelings which are fleeting so you cannot depend on it. You should have persistence, determination and resilience which overrides tough situations and the challenges of life.

Depression

Depression is not often looked at as a time waster but it definitely is one of the most deliberate weapons the enemy uses to steal your time. When you’re in a heavily burdened state of mind, it is an emotional state that bears you down and is a hinderance to your progress. It steals your time from being productive. When you have no desires or interest, it can take a toll on your overall well-being.

You cannot move forward if you have low energy, defeating thoughts or a negative outlook or attitude. It will suck the life out of you due to the low-level thoughts and emotions. You should replace your defeating thoughts with the Word of God, which is health and healing, substance and life.

Lastly, you should also consider your environment. What do you watch or listen to on a regular basis? Who do you spend time with? Being selective on your daily activities and with whom or spend your time reveals your priorities.

If this message has helped or encouraged you, please share with your connections or leave a comment.

I would like to leave you with a few Bible verses to stand on for any season in life.

May you be blessed!

Daily Meditation

Eccl 3:11

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

Eccl 3:1-8

 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Jer 29:11

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (KJV)

Prov 27:1

Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring. (NLT)

Psalms 31:15

15 My times are in Your hands. Free me from the hands of those who hate me, and from those who try to hurt me.

Psalms 90:12

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. (KJV)

Esther 4:14

14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (NIV)

2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (NIV)

Eph 5:15-17

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (NIV)

1 Thess 5:1-3

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. (NIV)

Joel 2:25

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. (KJV)

James 4:13-17

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (NIV)

Global Shifts: How Political Unrest and World Issues are Shaking Things Up

Posted on by yolandaberry
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We’re living in a very noisy world. There are many events, issues and distractions diverting our attention but we must stay rooted in the Word of God through these turbulent times. The world has just witnessed a miracle with the unfortunate incident of an attempted assassination of Former President Trump.

This incident has shifted the perspective in America. We’re at a pivotal moment as constant, rapid changes and distractions bombard us on every side. Evil cannot stand. America is having an identity crisis. Our country and democracy are under siege. The unspoken realities are yet to take place. We cannot be ignorant to the devices of the devil who uses illusion through deception.

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The world is in a place of unrest, and we have more than our own share of drama, trauma and turmoil in our cities and communities. Globally, we must contend with current warfare with Israel and Palestine (Hamas), Russia and Ukraine, immigrants crossing the border, inflation, global outages, climate change and natural disasters.

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Matt 24:4-8
robot holding the world, artificial intelligence,

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), we are headed for the unknown capabilities and opportunities as well as the devastating impact it will have on society. Depending on how you use (AI), it can either diminish your creativity or the ability to use your mind and think for yourself as you become more dependent on its function. In hence, you can use it as a tool to rapidly increase your productivity and efficiency. Although artificial intelligence has its pros and cons, the world is headed for rapid global changes that the average person is not prepared for.

I recently saw a post on Instagram that had a huge room of human-like robots. It was just like the population of robots in the movie “I-Robot.” I’m not exactly sure what they plan on using these robots, but it was quite alarming.

Neuralink, which is a microchip that is implanted in the brain, (like a computer processor) will have the ability to tap into thoughts and dreams of other people. Currently, it has the capability to move objects with utilizing brain activity by paraplegics.

This modern technology is currently in its infancy, developmental and experimental stages, however once this modern technology is perfected, they will provide access to the public to receive a microchip by an outpatient procedure to implant the device in your brain.

Eventually this will lead to not having any use for cell phones, laptops or tablets. This sci-fi development is the merging of anatomy with technology in a Frankenstein-like experiment.

Although it’s unclear how all these changes will unfold, we can stand on what the Word of God has prophesied about the last days which is knocking on our front door in this hour.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Rev 13:16-18

How Should a Believer Prepare for the Last Days?

Here Are Six Keys to Staying Rooted in God

  1. Build Your Relationship with the Lord Through Prayer- Communicate with the Lord daily
  2. Study the Bible including embedding the Word in your heart and memory.
  3. Anchor Your Faith in Hope – Encourage Yourself and trust God in every situation and circumstance
  4. Use Wisdom and Discernment – Ask for Godly wisdom and discernment to know the truth and cancel all forms of deception.
  5. Separate Yourself from Earthly Possessions – Detach Yourself from Idols
  6. Seek divine direction – Ask the Lord for guidance and clarity on your decisions.
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Daily Meditations

6 Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Phil 4:6

20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Prov 4:20-22

18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. Deut 11:18

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: Prov 3:3

11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Prov 3:7

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col 3:16

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:2

2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Hab 2:2

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: 6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth forever: 7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners Psalm 146:3-7

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corth 4:18

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. Eph 4:31-32

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? Amos 3:3

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. Matt 12:25

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. but if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:13-17

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt 6:25-35

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After the Storm: A Symbol of God’s Promise

Posted on by yolandaberry
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During the time of Noah, the people were corrupt and evil. God commanded Noah to build an ark so his household would be saved from the impeding disaster that would take place. Noah was obedient despite the mockery and ridicule of the people. He understood the assignment and did what he had to do. When the flood came, he and his household were saved. God sent a rainbow as a promise that He would never send a flood upon the world again.

The rainbow is not only beautiful to look at, but it also symbolizes the Holy promise and covenant God made for generations to come.

In today’s world, this symbolic promise has been distorted and used as a representation of pride in the LGBTQ community. They have twisted and perverted the Holy nature and true meaning of what the rainbow represents for their own purposes. The rainbow is symbolically attached to living a sinful lifestyle as a mockery to God.

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Gal 6:7

If you notice, there are more commercials, movies and TV shows that support the gay lifestyle. In the past, it was not accepted but it has been a subtle, consistent and gradual process of change. Violence should never be used against anyone but hate crimes escalated. They used the Civil Rights Movement to push their agenda onto societal norms for equal rights. Currently, the LGBTQ community has their own stand on equality which is called the Gay Liberation Movement.

I was recently watching a Saturday morning TV show where a gay man wrote a children’s book which clearly imposed his narrative about his homosexual lifestyle of being different. It had a subliminal undertone that children would not be able to identify.

A few years ago, drag queens were accepted into the school system to read books to children during story time. The mind of a child is heavily influenced by what they see and hear. It is a tender age where their minds are shaped and molded by their environment. By imposing unnatural relationships onto minors, it brings up questions that they should not even be thinking about at their age. Whatever seeds are planted at a young age, influences every aspect of a child. It could be for the good or the bad.

Train up a child in the way they should go and when he is old, he shall not depart from it.

Prov 22:6

Although I’ve had and still have gay friends, I do not support their lifestyle, but I allow them to live how they chose with hopes that I can be an expression and reflection of God’s love as an example for Christ.

Jesus came to this world so that all may be saved but He does not condone sin. This message is not rooted in judgement but out of an act of love for the Lord does not want anyone to perish in darkness.

Whether you’re in a natural or unnatural relationship, fornication, pornography or adultery is living in sin. God is calling for repentance of the heart and mind and to turn away from sin.

I cannot speak on behalf of the LGBTQ community, but I do feel the majority has been sexually molested, abused, raped or assaulted which has caused severe emotional, psychological and mental trauma in their lives. If they were completely honest, it is deep-rooted anguish and pain which has caused them to choose a homosexual lifestyle. Others may just have a curiosity which opened doors to seeking out sexual experiences. However, this is my opinion and not facts, but addressing past experiences and seeking counseling may possibly help someone who is struggling with sexual addictions or sexual tendencies of the same sex.

The Lord heals all wounds and scars and can transform lives. It all depends on your heart posture and if you’re open to receive Him by faith. Sadly, there is a strong spirit of rebellion which is emphasized in community gatherings which highlights their disposition and aggressiveness to prove their sexual expression. Finding the Lord is a personal decision and cannot be pushed on anyone however, Jesus has compassion, grace and mercy and will patiently wait and will leave ninety-nine to seek after one who is lost.

Additional References

22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Lev 18:22

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. Roman 1:26-27

Knowing this first that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts.

2 Peter 3:3

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 2 Thess 2:9-11

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corth 6:9-10

“If a man also lies with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Lev 20:13

18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Prov 16:18

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Rom 1:18-32