Yahweh Ponders the Hearts (6/15/2015)

Hello everyone, I hope yall had a wonderful weekend. If not, then perhaps you blamed your “bad” day(s) on someone or something, rather than accepting accountability for your position of control over how YOU chose to react and respond to your given situation(s). Anyway, despite its length and redundancy of announcements, one of the more pertinent aspects of the SOD it the Prayer of the Day; I encourage you to always read this prayer, though typically unchanging, it 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). PRAISE REPORT: Since I haven’t yet received any of your testimonies, let me share a general one of my own… I will not go into detail just yet, but I want to give honor and glory to Yahweh, because it is He that provides even in the midst of doubt. He may not always answer or show up when I would hope, but during my unemployment and transition as self-employed, God – Yahweh – has been the Rock that has kept me standing. ANNOUNCEMENTS: If you or someone you know would like to be somewhat involved in community affairs, 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/or 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, my request is that you resubmit your registration each year. Your continued support is always appreciated. Please keep spreading the word. 

HEALTHY LIVING TIPS:

Change begins within… First I would like to share with you that I AM NO HEALTH GURU, I am however, someone who wants to live a healthier lifestyle; I too benefit from these healthy living tips. Never let anyone discourage your goal to be better… if you want to quit smoking, YOU CAN! If you want to stop drinking, YOU CAN! You want to be slimmer or tone up but you think you’re too old, or have dealt with obesity your whole life but haven’t found a system that works… YOU CAN achieve ANY goal you set your mind to with Yahweh, as long as it falls in line with His will. Does the Bible not say that the body is a temple (refer to I Corinthians 6:19)? Then should we not also seek out ways to improve this temple to glorify the Lord (see I Corinthians 6:20)? If a 92 y/o can compete on stage dancing salsa with her 29 y/o grandson, a 76 y/o man can compete in bodybuilding competitions, a woman dropped from 287 lbs. to 125 lbs. and a man dropped 270 lbs. – naturally, then YOU CAN TOO! These are real stories, just Google them. My grandma was an alcoholic and a chain smoker for many years, but she quit both bad habits and was sober for several years prior to her death. I also have a few close friends and family members who quit smoking too; CHANGE IS POSSIBLE! Do NOT give up on your aspirations for healthy living. Do some research and find out the best approach for YOU. There is NO SUCH THING as a “one size fits all” approach to life, so do NOT be fooled. What works for the next man or woman may not be what will work for you. It’s called “trial and error”. There is however a general approach to taking steps that will lead to a healthier lifestyle – you need to kick bad habits: eat more fruits and vegetables; exchange junk food for healthy and/or organic snacks such as almonds instead of potato chips and Greek yogurt instead of doughnuts; take a walk or do a quick exercise to combat your urge to smoke; drink a carbonated flavored water or 100% apple juice to curb your desire for drinking liquor; try doing exercise moves such as sit-ups, lunges, and/or squats during your favorite show or commercial breaks; you can participate in a community service event or church activities instead of engaging in reckless behavior or surrounding yourself with reckless individuals. There is so much that can be done to achieve a healthier lifestyle, but refusing to make the necessary steps for change is NOT one of them.

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: NEVER lose sight of God in the midst of adversity… If you believe in God (His title) – Yahweh (His personal name), 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. Ponder this, “Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes” (Peter Drucker). Have a blessed rest of the week.

Yahweh, 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 – PROVERBS 21:1: 

“The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

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

REFLECTIONS:

“How could Joseph being sold into bondage, and then thrown into a jail be a good thing? How could Daniel going into the lion’s den be a good thing? How could Peter denying Christ be a good thing? We do not consider it within God's will that we do wrong, or are wronged, only that God's will is larger and that He, knowing the path of us all, works all things together despite our circumstances, or our waywardness. God's will is never crippled by our sin or bad choices – neither is it detoured. If He, foreseeing the best good, and knowing the rebellion of humanity, chooses to draw such things to a conclusion of His making, then nothing escapes His will – even though not all were acting in accordance with His will. God's will is larger than the snapshot we get for today. His will spans people, places and time. He sees what He will make from what He has. In God's eyes, it is the coming together, not to an end – but for a beginning” (Chambers, R. (2015, June 13). God’s unusurped will [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://reflections.daybyday.org/). 

“In Soloman’s day, kings possessed absolute authority and were often considered to be like gods. This proverb shows that God has ultimate authority over world rulers…” (Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Proverbs. Life Application Study Bible: King James Version: Notes 21:1 (pp. 945). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.).

First, if you’re wondering why I have started using “Yahweh”, it is because this is God’s personal name; much like Barack Obama’s title is president, Yahweh is God – He is Lord. In your Bible, you may have noticed that the term “Lord” is always capitalized; the reason signifies the use of God’s personal name, Yahweh, in the Hebrew text. So, since I want to obtain and maintain a closer relationship with God, I will call Him by name – Yahweh – you may address Him however is most comfortable to you. Now back to this lesson, verse 1 above refers to the kings of that time being unaware of God’s authority over them; verse 2 however says, “Every way of man is right in his own eyes; but the Lord pondereth the hearts.” The current sermon series at my church is about and entitled Decisions; we tend to find excuses for doing almost anything, and 9 times out of 10, those excuses are deceitful “a little bit of truth mixed with error” to establish an acceptable reason why what we have chosen to do is a good decision. The reality is that the erroneous portion of our reasoning, defaults any goodness in any choice we make. If we are not accessing the TRUE MOTIVES of our hearts, and comparing those motives to see if they fall in line with the Word, then how can we be assured that we are pleasing Yahweh? If our deeds are done with selfish intentions, then they are null and void. If our decisions and actions do not fall in line with the Word, then be assured that we cannot possibly think them to be satisfying to Yahweh. That being said, think about your every action and decision – consider your motives; ask Yahweh for direction, and then BE STILL and allow Him to show you the way. Through the Word, you will find answers to every confusing element of life; the Word is our guideline – our GPS – take heed!

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

Yahweh 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 Yahweh, 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)