The Cross We Bear (6/12/2015)

It’s Friday! I hope yall will have a wonderful weekend and I hope you make it to church this Saturday or Sunday, whichever day is your preference. 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 (this is NO cost to you, the donation is a percentage taken from each purchase, and donated from the store on your behalf); 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. Please keep spreading the word. 

HEALTHY LIVING TIPS:

Change begins within… You can’t lose weight using sugar substitutes… consuming sweet tasting but noncaloric or reduced-calorie foods and beverages actually “interferes with learned responses that normally contribute to glucose and energy” satiation. The human body is so accustomed to real sweeteners, as bad as they are made out to be, that without real sugar to affect insulin levels, indicate satiety and signal the body’s appetite hormones, people just keep on eating. Does it mean we should return to the deadly brace of old sugar? Not so hastily. The better alternatives include xylitol and stevia. Xylitol, derived from the birch tree, is a five-carbon sugar with a very low glycemic index (GI), meaning it is metabolized slowly; this is unlike artificial sugars that have no glycemic index because they are not metabolized and pure glucose with a 100 GI rating. (Xylitol has a GI rating of 12.) Dr R. Bilton of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, UK, proclaims both stevia and xylitol as “healthy sugar replacements.” Xylitol can be substituted for almost all sugar products. (Healthy Living Magazine. (n.d.). Sweeteners provoke appetite. Healthy Living. Retrieved from http://www.healthylivingmagazine.us). Personally, I’m unfamiliar with Xylitol, but I have switched over to Stevia and a little goes a long way. Although I’m not a heavy coffee drinker, I do indulge every now and again, and let me tell you, I use to use 6 packets of sugar for one small sterofoam cup. However, with Stevia, I use one packet in a larger cup, and it neutrilizes the bitterness and sweetens without the gross aftertaste of say, NutraSweet. You can find Stevia near the sugar or on the isle where the cake mix, etc. is located. It’s pretty affordable to buy the large bag, and they have the store brand which has exactly the same ingredients, which also works well. Remember though, it’s not like regular sugar so go slow with adding it as a sweetener when cooking or in beverages. It also dissolves almost immediately, so a good stirring is necessary to ensure that the contents have saturated your mix before adding more sweetener.

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 weekend.

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 – LUKE 9:23: 

“And He said to them all, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’”

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

REFLECTIONS:

“It’s just a cross we have to bear.” Perhaps you have heard these words before—uttered to bring an element of understanding to a struggle that must be endured. It is certain that none of us know or truly understand what it means to bear a cross, to be crucified, and to die. Most likely, there is no one who really feels his or her struggle is comparable to the anguish of the cross. Jesus encourages us to take up our crosses daily and to follow Him. But, what does that mean? To take up our crosses daily means we are daily willing to sacrifice what we would get from this life, so that others may find life through Christ in us. When Jesus took up His cross, He had the power to end the pain and suffering, yet willingly endured it. He had the power to punish His accusers, yet did not lift even a word to them—except to forgive. To be like Jesus requires from us a willingness to follow Him even to our death… it is the cross we have to bear. I pray we bear it well” (Chambers, R. (2015, June 12). The cross we bear [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://reflections.daybyday.org/). 

“To take up the cross [back in those days] meant to carry one’s own cross to the place of crucifixion… With this word picture, Christ presented a clear and challenging description of Christian life. Being His disciple means putting aside selfish desires, taking up one’s “cross” EVERY day, and FOLLOWING HIM… For believers today, it means understanding that WE BELONG TO HIM and that WE LIVE TO SERVE HIS PURPOSE” (Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Luke. Life Application Study Bible: King James Version: Notes 9:23 (pp. 1493). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.).

So, what is the cross you bear? Our circumstances are NOT meant to be a cross we bear, but a test we endure, that it may be transformed into our testimony – a test that we have passed through faithful living and faith in Christ. Jesus already bore the cross on our behalf; we are supposed to have enough trust in His power and authority, that we accept/receive that blessing. The cross we bear is supposed to be our commitment to God and what comes along with being an exemplary servant to Him; our trials and tribulations often test our faith – our cross to bear – and our responsibility is to be steadfast in God’s will. The only way that we can bear this cross is by studying to show ourselves approved (refer to II Timothy 2:15), and through much prayer and supplication (see Philippians 4:6).

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)