Lord and Master (6/11/2015)

It's almost Friday yall. I hope you have prioritized your weekend accordingly. I just wanted to extend an invitation to everyone to share any testimonies and/or prayer requests you may have, so that they may be shared with our group; prayer requests and even testimonies can remain anonymous - if that is your preference, be sure to indicate that upon your submission. Also, I know that the SOD may be lengthy at times and some shared information is redundant, but I encourage you to always read the Prayer of the Day; this prayer, though typically unchanging, effectively covers significant concerns worth praying for. PRAYER REQUESTS: As always, pray for one another as the Spirit leads, and remember to thank God for the victory while refraining from claiming defeat from the enemy; ALWAYS pray for your desired result, NOT the unfavorable outcome (refer to the book The Tongue – A Creative Force, by Charles Capps). ANNOUNCEMENTS: If you're looking for a way to give back to the community, why not make a contribution to a worthy cause?; donations may be made year-round to assist my non-profit organization, FMBS Inc., with its day-to-day operations through the PayPal link located on our website (listed below under Join Our Cause). You may also register to contribute funds per every purchase you make through Ralph's and Food 4 Less; if you would like to link your rewards card with FMBS Inc. let me know so that I may send you the information to register... ALL registrations must be updated ANNUALLY, so if your rewards card was previously enrolled, you must complete that set-up process each year. Your continued support is always appreciated, and please keep spreading the word.

 

HEALTHY LIVING TIPS:

Change begins within… "An Australian study shows simply drinking 500 mL of water 30 minutes before every meal can be used with a low-calorie diet for even greater weight loss. “Pre-meal water consumption for weight loss is an easy to implement intervention” with “evidence of efficacy, and adverse effects are unlikely.” Another trick, say researchers, is to use that glass of water to replace sweetened caloric beverages (SCBs). So how much weight can you lose? One study estimates that replacing all SCBs with drinking water was associated with 200 fewer calories per day and predicted mean decrease in total energy of 200 kcal/d over 12 months—the equivalent of nearly 21 pounds. Of course, with all that extra water, finding a source free from chemical and inorganic contaminants such as lead becomes imperative. The least expensive and most effective methods are home filtration systems using reverse osmosis and activated carbon. Bottled water can be more costly and sometimes of poor quality" (Healthy Living Magazine. (n.d.). Simple water trick. Healthy Living. Retrieved from http://www.healthylivingmagazine.us.

JOIN OUR CAUSE: Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.) is on a never-ending quest to locate deserving individuals to extend our services to. Therefore we are always in need of monetary donations and/or contributions of hygiene items, sealed snacks, bottled water, winter items (gloves, scarves, blankets), mini bibles, etc.; our YEAR-ROUND mission is to serve homeless and/or needy individuals and families in underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. We are successful because of YOUR continued support. Please continue to back us up through participation, and/or by encouraging others to join our cause!

 

For more information about our organization, visit our website at http://www.fmbs-inc-bytye.org and/or add our Facebook page, Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (and/or Fostering Mindbodyandsoul), and follow us on Twitter @FMBSInc. On behalf of my team of volunteers, I thank you in advance. ~Tylesha "Tye" Allen, CEO/Founder, FMBS Inc. Est. 2012~

 

BE ENCOURAGED: If you believe in God, you can be delivered, transformed, restored, and your mind can be renewed. The rest of this day isn’t promised, let alone tomorrow, so why not strengthen your faith TODAY? Feed your body healthy nutrition, be cautious of what things you allow your eyes, ears, and spirit to be exposed to (e.g. media, books, TV, music, etc.), and YOU can start anew and become a better you, NOW not later. NEVER lose sight of God in the midst of adversity… CHANGE BEGINS WITHIN. Ponder this, “Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes” (Peter Drucker). Have a blessed rest of the week.

 

Lord please clear our minds, and open our eyes, ears, and hearts so that we may see, hear, and receive your intended message from this fellowship. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

 

PASSAGE – MATTHEW 10:24-25: 

“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?”

 

***Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible***

 

REFLECTIONS:

“Consider Christ. The road Christ walked was not a glamorous one. It promised nothing of worldly goods or gain. It was not a road that led to satisfaction and financial comfort while on this earth. It was a road of self-denial, self-sacrifice - self-death. It was a road that led to a cross on a hill of death, appropriately named Golgotha, "the place of the skull." If to follow Christ means to walk the road He walked, does it not also mean to die, truly die, to self? If to follow Christ means to call Him Master, does it not also mean that it is enough for us to be like our Master? Can we call Him Master and follow Him without walking the road that He walked? Consider Christ. Consider the road that He walked. Consider what He gave up for the Father and for us. Consider what it means to call Him Lord and Master. In all things...consider Christ" (Chambers, R. (2015, June 11). Lord and master [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://reflections.daybyday.org/). 

I like that - "consider Christ" - in ALL things we should be seeking guidance from Christ. But another thing we should be doing if we haven't already done so, is considering what Christ had to withstand for our freedom of sin, our healing and our victory over the adversary. With His blood our lives were spared and we were healed (refer to Isaiah 53:5). Is there any greater sacrifice than one life for another? God gave His ONLY Son (refer to John 3:16), and His Son  - the Lamb - gave His life to bless us with life everlasting. There should be NOTHING and NO ONE that stands in the way of our paying homage to God with love, respect and obedience. If there is something or someone that has hindered your ability to show God your gratefulness, then you may need to fast and pray, asking God to provide the strength you need to LET GO and LET GOD. Remember that we must first know what our issue is before we can seek help, rather, welcome help from God; understanding what our issue is, helps us become more accepting of our need for His intervention in our lives... CONSIDER CHRIST!

 

I wasn't going to include the study notes from my Bible this time around, but I was led to share them anyway, for those who aren't so familiar with Beelzebub... “Beelzebub was also known as the lord of flies and the prince of devils. The Pharisees accused Jesus of using Beelzebub's power to cast out devils (see 12:24). Good is sometimes labeled as evil. If Jesus, who is perfect, was called evil, His followers can expect that similar accusations will be directed at them. But those who endure will be vindicated (10:22)" (Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Matthew. Life Application Study Bible: King James Version: Notes 10:25 (pp. 1358). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.).

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

Father God we thank you for life, health, and strength. Thank you for providing the courage and strength we need to remove the guilt we've placed on self, and for removing every negative thought that has held us captive in our own minds. We thank you for transforming our image into one that mirrors Jesus, so that His goodness is reflected in all that we do. Thanks for blessing us with a double portion of your Spirit, and for closing every unnecessary door that is open in our lives. Thanks for opening supernatural doors to peace, prosperity, clarity, contentment, and happiness. We thank you for providing each of us with the clear and concise revelations we need in order to overcome the adversary. Please continue to help us see, hear, and feel your presence through every trial and tribulation, and for discernment to know the difference between your will vs. our own desires. We take back everything the enemy has stolen from us, and bind every evil and malicious plot, plan and scheme devised against us, in the matchless name of Jesus. We grant your angels permission to do our bidding on earth, and thank you for protecting us from its recourse. This is our affirmation of faith Father God, we submit our petition to you, and claim all these things in the name of Jesus, Amen!

 

Respectfully,
Tylesha "Tye" Allen

CEO/Founder

FMBS Inc. Est. 2012
Ministry Blog: http://sodbytye.blogspot.com/
Non-profit Website: http://fmbs-inc-bytye.org/

Follow FMBS Inc. on Twitter: @FMBSInc

Change begins within; work on becoming a better You
"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8)