Scripture of the Week (SOW) formerly known as the Scripture of the Day (SOD): Immediate Obedience (2/14/2016)

Hello, everyone. I know the weekend is over, but I ran into some technical difficulties as I was trying to type this SOW. My sincere apologies. Seeing as how I no longer participate in pagan holidays, I will NOT wish you a "happy" day today. Instead, I would like to suggest to you that EVERY DAY can be one that represents love; you do NOT have to wait until a man-made celebration comes along in order to express your endearment toward your loved ones. Just as well, for others who are like me and choose to overlook pagan traditions, do NOT allow those trends to dictate your ability to express benevolence throughout the year. You may not celebrate Christmas, birthdays, or Valentine's Day, but that isn't a valid reason not to send some kind words or a nice gesture someone's way. My words of encouragement for you today is to remain vigilant in your Bible studies, faithful in your Christian walk, willing to apply God's direction into your lifestyle by correcting and changing those things which He wills you to, and NEVER lose hope in His authority even if your discouragement comes from someone you adore; ONLY GOD has your best interest at heart. I encourage you to always read the Scripture of the Week (SOW) in its entirety. Though some sections are typically unchanging, it effectively covers significant information that is worth reading; skipping sections may cause you to miss the intended message Yahweh is trying to convey to you or the person you share this with. PRAYER REQUESTS: Continue to pray for one another as the Spirit leads, thanking Yahweh for the victory while refraining from confessing the problem caused by 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: I am still in NEED of SERIOUS and DEDICATED volunteers and, more importantly, board members for my non-profit organization, Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.). Volunteers are vital to the success of any community service based organization, so I encourage you to join my team or, at least, volunteer somewhere and/or join an executive board. Without our volunteers, non-profit organizations would not be successful. The reason FMBS Inc. has been on hiatus is because of the lack of participation from volunteers and board members. Our need is DIRE and immediate; we need committed board members as well as volunteers so that we can get out of this rut before we lose our 501(c)(3) status. Non-profit organizations are NOT mere hobbies founded and operated by individuals, they are actual vital businesses that are dependent on the participation of their volunteers and board members. As a whole, the founders, CEO's, volunteers and board members work together to establish and implement programs that effectively benefit our communities. Otherwise, with a lack of truly committed team members, these businesses will remain unproductive, or will fail in their attempts. It is only so much that one individual can do alone; it takes a team of people to make an impact. FMBS Inc. has a tentative meeting set for February 28, 2016, at 3:30 PM in Los Angeles (location will be provided upon RSVP). So, if you or someone you know is interested in attending this meeting, please confirm your attendance ASAP so that I can make sure everyone is accommodated; your ideas, suggestions for solutions to community issues, and consideration for positions on the board and as volunteers, will all be discussed. We pray that this meeting will be a fresh start for our organization to make a noticeable impact in our communities. This is YOUR OPPORTUNITY to give back. Your continued support is beyond appreciated.

HEALTHY LIVING TIPS:

Change begins within… It's ok to start at your own pace, but the key is to START and COMMIT (establish a routine). NO MORE EXCUSES! Challenge yourself and strive to beat your own record rather than comparing your progress to someone else's. Also, stay away from the scale... muscle mass weighs more than fat; when you start toning up, your weight may increase, but if you're fixated on the scale numbers, you may hinder your own progression. So, grab a pair of pants or a dress you want to fit into, contemplate the way you would like your body to look, then STRIVE to fit into those pants or that dress, and STRIVE to get your body toned to fit your desired appearance. If you're worried about time constraints and gym memberships, don't be... I know a site that offers tons of FREE workout routines and FREE meal plans, ALL of which can be completed in the comfort of our own home at http://HASfit.com. If you are NOT advanced, they offer modified movements. They also suggest alternatives for the equipment they use, such as soup cans instead of dumbbells. GET better, BE better, LIVE better and LOOK better, it's all up to YOU.

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 myself and 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… Ponder this: "To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us - and He has given us everything... Gratitude, therefore, takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder..." (Thomas Merton). SHOW your gratitude for God by spending more time with Him. After all, we are supposed to be scheduling our lives around Him, not the other way around. Whether you receive your information from a theological scholar, a pastor, or an expert of God's word, I urge you NEVER to take someone else's word, even mine for that matter, as solid truth; "Study to show thyself approved" (II Timothy 2:15), and CHALLENGE EVERYTHING by comparing it to the Word of God. If what you see, hear or read does NOT fall in line with the Word of God, then it is NOT truth... 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.) so that YOU can start anew and become a better you NOW, not later. 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 Yeshua (Jesus), Amen!

PASSAGE – ROMANS 12:1-2:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

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

REFLECTIONS: Have you taken the time to evaluate your lifestyle patterns? If you really take some time to think about Life, then you will recognize that we are bound to cycles. We wake up, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to work (school, hustle), eat lunch, do miscellaneous stuff in between, spend time with our loved ones (take care of home), sleep, then do it all over again. Amidst the continuous cycles, we worry and question why things in our lives remain stagnant or render no change. Have you considered that a cycle cannot change if YOU don't change your routine? You're overweight, you research weight loss options but never pursue them, and instead of making lifestyle changes, you continue to indulge in gluttony. You're stuck in a rut in your spiritual walk, refuse to find a church home, refuse to pray, refuse to open your Bible and read the Word, yet wonder why the void in your life has NOT been fulfilled by your relationships and secular pleasures. GOD IS CALLING YOU to come home. GOD IS CALLING YOU to make a CHANGE. GOD IS CALLING YOU to LET GO of the ways of this world and to adhere to a LIFE OF IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE. There are blessings that have a time stamp on them, therefore, our obedience to God ensures the timeliness of said blessings. Would you rather miss out on your husband or wife, because you would rather play around with the rest of the fish in the sea? Would you prefer to miss out on a job promotion or comfortable living because you are afraid to apply yourself? When we are uncomfortable, we are forced to think and move differently - COMPASSION - we are moved into action for those things and people we are passionate for; we fight for anyone and anything we care for. As Christians, we claim to care for Yahweh and have compassion for the death of our Saviour Yeshua, but how can we make such declarations when we have yet to ACT - to fight and boycott our own minds when we battle flesh against Spirit? If we have not acknowledged the fact that we are stuck in a cycle, we cannot begin to break it. Albert Einstein made the statement that "insanity is doing something over and over again expecting a different result" - cycles - are you allowing your fear of change, your fear of stepping out on faith without knowing where it will lead, to hold you back from changing your routine? If you are living a life for someone else or something else besides God, including yourself, then you are living an alternate identity. Yahweh has predestined our lives, but we continue to allow fear, pride, and negative words to discourage us from taking the steps that the Spirit (our conscious) is leading us to. GOD IS CALLING, are YOU LISTENING? If you cannot hear Him, it may be time to clear your life of the clutter (negative people and environments, secular influences, etc.) that clouds your mind and heart from discerning His guidance. Have the COURAGE to choose what you KNOW is RIGHT in your spirit. Be HONEST with yourself and God, it's not like He doesn't know us better than we know ourselves. Care about ONLY what HE thinks. For once, take a stand and allow your FAITH to attack your conflicts head-on - put on the full armor of God (refer to Ephesians 6:11-18) and run toward your conflict, POSITIVE that God is in control (see Isaiah 41:10), and watch as the enemy flees. Just remember, as the old saying goes, "if HE brings you to it, HE'LL bring you through it." Be sure that you aren't the cause of your conflict, however, because His promise is to shield us as we OBEY HIS WILL. John 9:31 admonishes that, "... God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth." God's tells us in John 15:16 that, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you." We are predestined to righteous lifestyles and every time we ignore God's calling, our lives are recalculated... we miss our scheduled blessings, a task or situation that should have taken a month to achieve, took 5 years because we lived for self or someone else. Why place your destiny on hold any longer? That peace you seek requires IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE TO GOD. Change what needs to be changed NOW, because if He calls your soul to rest tonight, then Tomorrow will be too late. POWER IN PRAYER: 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. Lord, please take away our desire to engage in bad things, and place in us a stronger aspiration and willingness to accept and abide by your will. Change our hearts and renew our minds, so that when things are going bad, we do not forget your promise. 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 each of 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. For everyone and everything we have failed to pray for, we ask that you do not fail to address the concern. This is our affirmation of faith Yahweh, we submit our petition to you, and claim all these things in the matchless name of Yeshua, Amen!