Love Compels Us (4/4/2021)

SALUTATIONS: Hey yall! Happy Resurrection Day! I hope you had a wonderful day with your family and/or friends celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus; if you have not yet explained to your child(ren) what this day's celebration truly is, I strongly encourage you to, so that they do not grow into adulthood only knowing pieces of the story and getting sidetracked by the bunnies, eggs, and chocolate. If you don't know the history behind the popular pagan traditions that flood what most refer to as "Easter Sunday," then do some research on it as well as the other "holidays," such as Christmas and Halloween, so that both you and your children are well-versed on its history and can make well-informed decisions on how to move forward or away from popular traditions. Because God loved us first, our recognition of His love is what influences us to then love Him and follow in His footsteps. This week, we discuss how His love compels us to act in love also. Let's get into it. As always, take time to review ALL of the Announcements, Healthy Living Tips, and other information detailed below, following the Reflections and Power in Prayer, whenever time permits. Your continued support is always appreciated. Keep spreading God's Gospel and feel free to share the Scripture of the Week with the hashtag SOW. Enjoy! **Disclaimer: Production and distribution days of the SOW are subject to change without warning**

PRAISE REPORTS: I am grateful because we are blessed to be where we are today, and where we are promised to be when He returns, all because of His sacrifice. Yahweh our Savior, we thank you for life, salvation, and provision. We praise you through our struggles, for our past trials, our current obstacles, our future triumphs, and for mending our unbelief. Hallelujah! If you have a specific praise report, please share, because we “overcame [the adversary] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of [our] testimony” (Revelation 12:11). **NOTE: All praise reports are shared with reference to your name unless anonymity is specified**

PRAYER REQUESTS: With all that is going on in this nation, I think it behooves us to begin fasting and praying with intention. I don't know how that looks for each of you, so I encourage you to ask God to reveal a specific fast for you; What should you fast from? When should you begin this fast? What type of fast will it be? How long will the fast last? What should you pray for in the process? Additionally, remember that as you embark on whatever fast the Lord presents you with, be sure to replace the thing you're fasting from with intentional prayers of thanksgiving for an opportunity to fast in exchange for closeness with Him. Let's continue to pray for one another and thank Yahweh for the victory while refraining from confessing the problem caused by the enemy; ALWAYS pray for the desired result, NOT the unfavorable outcome (refer to the book The Tongue – A Creative Force, by Charles Capps; you can download your FREE copy here https://rb.gy/niy4go). If you or someone you know needs prayer, let me know, and your request will be added to the following SOW. **NOTE: All prayer requests are shared with reference to your name and need unless anonymity is specified**

BE ENCOURAGED: NEVER lose sight of God amidst adversity… Ponder this: "Some people will not understand what the love of Christ compels you to do; do it anyway" (Sheila Walsh). I'm no theological scholar, and even if I were a pastor or an expert on God's word, I would still advise you NEVER to take someone else's word as solid truth; "Study to show thyself approved" (2 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 true... 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, rather than later. If you need someone to help you get there, or you're looking for an accountability partner, you've come to the right place. Here I am.
 
FEATURED SONGS OF PRAISE: "Love" by God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation (you can listen to it here https://rb.gy/lmltiz) and "Because of Who You Are" by Vicki Yohe (you can listen to it here https://rb.gy/ffxijl). I would also like to recommend Classical for Studying Radio on Pandora to better facilitate your meditation on the Word as you study, you can listen to that station here https://rb.gy/wtbmva.  

OPENING PRAYER: Yahweh, please let your presence set the tone for how this lesson will flow and how we will grow from it. Clear our mind and open our eyes, ears, and heart so that we may be decreased in self and increased in you. Fill us with your presence through the Holy Spirit to see as we look, to listen as we hear, to come into alignment with your word and your will, to receive, believe, and apply your truth, that we may be transformed by your intended message from this fellowship and become better as a result of it. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!
 
KEY PASSAGE(S) – 2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-15 (NIV): "14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again." 

**Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage**
 

REFLECTIONS: I know this may sound cliché, but I am so glad God is NOT like man; we are so conditional with our love it's ridiculous. Think about it, how many people have made vows before the Lord "for better or for worse, until death parts" them, and have reneged on that promise because after the "I do's," whether an official marriage or merely a consensual relationship what we thought was love was more on the lines of lust. Now, some of you may beg to differ, but if we consider love as it is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (read the NIV here https://rb.gy/svphca), if we're being honest, we can see clearly that by definition, the only ones we've ever "loved" in that context is a parent or a child. Yet still, that is debatable.

 

I'm almost certain that at least a small percentage of you have had a moment with someone, including a child or parent, where patience, trust, and hope flew out of a window while selfishness, anger, and pride quickly swooped in doing doughnuts in your living room. If you're being 100, then you know something that affected you that strongly wasn't easy to overcome.

 

Yet, "while we were STILL sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, NIV). Do you realize just how much He had to love us to brutally lay down His life (read 1 John 3:16 here https://rb.gy/weengo) - He freely chose to give His life in exchange for ALL sin that we might have eternal life (read Mark 10:45, Romans 3:25, 1 Peter 2:24, and 1 Peter 3:18, NIV, here https://rb.gy/mvuzqx), and prayed for the ones who crucified Him (read Luke 23:34 here https://rb.gy/6gqp35); that's love - a love that influences us to return the favor. Don't get it twisted, "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Yo! That's deep. Many of us cannot imagine forgiving someone for lying, stealing, cheating, or killing someone we care about. God took on ALL sin even the sin of His murderers. Can you imagine? I know people who refused to pray for Trump in his presidency because they thought he was self-serving. I have literally heard people say that they would never pray for an enemy, or forgive a loved one over a physical altercation or verbal dispute. I'm sure each of us has severed a tie or two with someone for something less daunting. 

 

Oftentimes, our love resides in the condition that God provides in a manner that looks good to us. If you're able to recognize that condition, then it's time to accept that your love is more of an infatuation - you're in love with the idea of loving the Lord, else, that love for Him would produce the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, self-control, and kindness (read Galatians 5:22-23, NIV, here https://rb.gy/hws2rk). If you sometimes feel disconnected from God, how do you think Jesus felt in His last hours? He took on ALL of sin (read 1 John 2:2 here https://rb.gy/7pgdqi), I keep emphasizing the all because the Word tells us that sin is what separates us from God (read Isaiah 59:2 here https://rb.gy/v43htc), so if our sinning causes us to feel like our prayers are falling on deaf ears, imagine what it was like for Christ; Jesus went from walking with the Lord daily to being so detached from God that it brought Him anguish (read Luke 22:44 here https://rb.gy/qyqvsj) yet He prayed "earnestly." How many of us are still motivated to pray in our agony? Not many. Although I still have both my parents, I would imagine that Jesus' sorrow was like that of a child who lost a parent. You go from freely speaking to, walking with, spending quality time with, and supping with someone you've known and loved your entire life, who loved you that much more, to having a void - an emptiness, loneliness because that individual is no longer around. Despite this separation, He chose to die to remain faithful. He chose to love us and lay down His life for our sins, NONE of His own doing because He was perfect in His ways. So why then do we struggle to reciprocate that love? Because we have not yet fully embraced it.

Once we have accepted and allowed God to heal our unbelief, not only will we begin to recognize the change God is eliciting in our lives, others will also witness the transformation in which Love compels us; we will stop living a self-centered life and choose a God-centered life that leads us to think, speak, and take action in a way that mirrors God, not because of any works of our own, but by the power of His Spirit (read Ephesians 2:9 and Zechariah 4:6 here https://rb.gy/uxiwix). #SOW

 

POWER IN PRAYER: POWER IN PRAYER: Lord we thank you for life, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and salvation; for the sacrifice you made at the crucifixion as you became sin so that we would have life everlasting. Help us in our unbelief Father, so that we may spend more time studying your Word so that we may fully experience your goodness, know, understand, and apply your Word to every decision we make in our thoughts, words, and actions. We ask for alignment, clarity, direction, and oneness with you Father. Whatever burdens or sin that has separated us from you, deliver us so that we may refocus our attention on you. As we seek to live an intentional God-centered life, reveal to us any necessary fasting we should commit to in order to strengthen our relationship with you. As we embark on that fasting, may we pray with intention, to receive the secrets of your Truth; reveal to us the environments and company that are for us, the path we ought to be on, with whom we should be walking, and how to traverse. Give us the strength to part ways with the things and people that no longer serve us so that we will choose to serve you more efficiently. May your love compel us to earnestly seek to be transformed by you, and may our trust in you be secure enough to believe that you have already come through. As your angels and Holy Spirit do your bidding on Earth and in Heaven, protect us and them with your recourse as you bind, loose, and cast out the demonic spirits of distraction, destruction, retaliation, revenge, and backlash. All these things we ask in the matchless name of Yeshua, Amen!

 

HEALTHY LIVING TIPS: Change begins within... Let's talk about love... if you're trying to figure out "what's love got to do with" healthy living, well, 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, "love never fails" and 1 Corinthians 13:13 says that love is greater than faith and hope (read the NIV here https://rb.gy/maeidm). Not to mention, 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) states that "love covers over a multitude of sins." Thus, love has everything to do with it, because love compels us to be kind, patient, peaceful, joyful, calm, and gentle. But how can we love the unlovable? Glad you asked. Here are 3 ways we can love those we've labeled "unlovable."

1. Search for the good in a person: There are positives in every negative, even if it's not easily identified. Look for positive aspects of the person you've labeled "unlovable"; there is always something positive someone has done or said whether it was toward you or another. As you identify their positives, you will begin to disassociate them from the "unlovable" stigma you've attached to them.
2. Consider the root behind the unlovable behaviors: Just like they say "never judge a book by its cover," you cannot always judge a person by their behavior; have you ever pinned someone as a jerk and later found that yall had many similarities and/or got to know them by listening to their story, and developed a nice friendship later down the line? Oftentimes people are acting out because of childhood trauma, burdensome circumstances, or trials and tribulation unbeknownst to us. Therefore, the unlovable traits may seem to be targeting you or others specifically, when in reality, they are merely hurting and haven't learned an appropriate way to cope with their pain. After all, "hurt people, hurt people" subconsciously, more often than not.
3. Compare the unlovable parts of them to your own: It is said that we should never compare ourselves to others, but this is the exception; if we're being honest with ourselves, the parts of others that are unlovable are closely related to the parts of ourselves that we have not fully accepted. All sin is sin regardless of its severity. So who are we to say our wrongdoing is not as bad as the next man or woman? "He that is without sin, cast the first stone" (John 8:7). If you think someone is a jerk, consider why you feel that way. Then, take time to really analyze your own life. If you have EVER in your life been guilty of a similar infraction, then remember your flaws before judging theirs. Just because you consider yourself redeemed, at the end of the day, if ANYTHING you have done in your life is comparable to the person you've labeled "unlovable" whether in your eyes OR the perception of someone else (the one you committed that act against), then if you expect to be loved, do unto others the same (read Matthew 7:12 here https://rb.gy/yrhqbm).

As always, be mindful of the things you feed your body, both physically and figuratively. Be safe, be blessed, and prioritize your health and wellbeing!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1. If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse, I invite you to join my virtual support group via Zoom; we meet every 3rd Sunday at 2:30 pm PST. Just text "heal" to (323) 800-8616 to be added to our text notifications/reminders.
2. Help me get FMBS Inc. back active in the community yall! I'd like to start regular community beautification projects, homeless outreach, and live workshops that will provide guidance, mentorship, resources, and helpful information for at-risk youth. Here's the thing, I don't know how to do any of this, but I'm willing to learn; if you have any helpful information or affordable training opportunities please share.
3. Please take a moment to register your Ralph's, Food 4 Less, and/or Kroger Rewards cards to enroll your member number/phone number for the Ralph's/Food 4 Less Community Contribution Program to help Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (aka FMBS Inc., serving communities throughout Southern Cali since 2012) raise funds to give back to the community; for every purchase you make, a small % is given as a donation to our non-profit organization - your rewards points are NOT affected by this enrollment. To enroll, you must go to their website here http://www.friendsindeedpas.org/get-involved/ralphs-community-contribution-program/ and link your rewards cards and/or telephone numbers (Alt ID) to our organization each year, and we will earn money for every purchase made under your rewards cards. Your continued support is always appreciated. 
4. Update on my 1st children's book, Color Isn't Who I AM © 2019: I'm still praying for God to come through in the hearts of those at Covenant Books to come down on that hefty price tag and select a reasonable price for my book to be sold so that it's accessible to everyone. When He does, my book will be on a bookshelf near you.
5. Be on the lookout for the relaunch of my non-profit organization, Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.). Although I am willing to carry out my plans solo, I would be remiss if I didn't extend an invitation to ALL willing volunteers to help me serve our communities by accepting a significant role as a committed and trusted board member, or a contributor of time (physical volunteer work), monies, supplies, and/or resources. My appreciation is extended to anyone that can help facilitate making an impact in surrounding at-risk and underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. Part of our mission is to help supply the homeless as well as needy families with food and hygiene bags throughout the year and especially during the holidays and to serve as mentors and/or advocates for at-risk youth and victims of abuse. Reach out to me regarding your interest in service or to arrange another form of contribution; contact me via email at fmbsinc_2012@outlook.com, or leave a voicemail and/or text at (951) 790-2127.

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, seasonal items (gloves, scarves, blankets, umbrellas, sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, etc.), mini bibles, reading books, and so forth; our YEAR-ROUND mission is to serve homeless and/or needy individuals and families in underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. We also need DEDICATED volunteers and members – is this your calling? Eventually, when we have met our need for volunteers and board members, we will extend our services to assist and address some of the needs of our veterans and their family members. 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 contact fmbsinc_2012@outlook.com. 

 
Respectfully,

Tylesha "Tye" Allen    Behavioral Interventionist | Mobile Notary | CEO/Founder of FMBS Inc. ·         Mobile: (951) 790-2127 ·         Address: Los Angeles, CA ·         Website: http://www.ready411.weebly.com | http://sodbytye.blogspot.com   ·         Email: professional1_99@hotmail.com ·         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)