How to Build Faith in Jesus (10/28/2022)

SALUTATIONS:  Hey Fam! Hopefully, you took every opportunity presented this week to spend in gratitude for the simplest pleasures, such as your ability to breathe. Friends, did you know miracles don't establish or sustain faith if you refuse to believe? So, let's discover how to build faith in Jesus. Let's get into it.

As a reminder, the Announcements, Healthy Living Tips, and other information that used to succeed the Reflections and Power in Prayer are now exclusively on my blogs (visit my Lnk.bio below). So, at your leisure, be sure to check that out. Also, your suggestions for improvement are always welcome, so feel free to provide feedback anytime. 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: If you have been unemployed, underemployed, or underpaid for quite some time, yet are still able to pay your bills, eat regularly, and go somewhere or buy something for yourself or someone else on occasion, give God some glory! We often ignore the provision because it's presented as EBT (food stamps/public assistance), twenty dollars instead of two thousand dollars, or purified water vs. Evian. Yahweh promised He would supply all of our needs, not our desires. Do some inventory and acknowledge the Lord's consistent provisions in your life, even if they're minimal. If you have a specific praise report, please share it because we "overcame [the adversary] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of [our] testimony" (Revelation 12:11, KJV). **NOTE: All praise reports are shared referencing your name unless anonymity is specified**

PRAYER REQUESTS: Let us pray for reconciliation in broken marriages, dysfunctional families, bruised relationships, and Yahweh's lost children. Refrain 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 referencing your name and need unless anonymity is specified**

BE ENCOURAGED: NEVER lose sight of God amidst adversity… Ponder this: "Faith is building on what you know is here so you can reach what you know is there." (Cullen Hightower). I'm no theological scholar. 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, KJV), 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, and 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. Let's hold each other accountable.
 
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 minds and open our eyes, ears, and hearts 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, listen as we hear, and come into alignment with your Word and will. Help us to receive, believe in, and apply your Truth so 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, we thank you, Amen!
 
KEY PASSAGE(S) – ROMANS 10:17; 1 JOHN 5:5; ROMANS 10:9; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:7: "¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ; ⁵ Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?; ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight." 

**Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations originate from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) ® Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. All Scripture quotations were retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage regardless of the translation quoted.**

REFLECTIONS: In Hebrews chapter 11, we see that every prominent biblical figure is highlighted as doing things in faith. In verse 6 (NLT), we are warned that "it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him."  

We don't even have to turn to the dictionary to define faith because the Bible does that for us in Hebrews 11:1 (KJV), which says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." We are all given a measure of faith (read Romans 12:3 here https://rb.gy/w4yzr0), but to develop it, we must know its origins. Contrary to popular belief, faith doesn't come through supernatural experiences. However, spiritual encounters can enhance your faith and trust in the Lord. Yet, it will not provide the building blocks of foundational faith.  

Many believe that a modern-day miracle will give them the confidence in God they lack. Miracles only boost (source of encouragement leading to improvement) or enhance (further improve the quality) the faith you already possess; they won't establish trust in the Lord. An advantage is that it contains the ability to improve your faith, but it's not the Source. Thus, after witnessing a miracle, whatever trust developed would be fleeting if its sole reliance was on the fate of miraculous occurrences.  

Let me give you Bible. God led the Israelites during the day and night. He provided manna and quail when they were hungry and water when they were thirsty, and He protected them from the plagues bestowed upon the Egyptians (read Exodus 14:21-22; 16:13-15; 17:5-6; and 12:23, KJV, https://rb.gy/rqa0io). Yet, miracle after miracle, their faith would only strengthen for a time before they thirsted for the subsequent supernatural encounter. The inexplicable divine manifestations did not provide sustainable faith in Yahweh. If they, who the Lord physically led, were incapable of establishing a rock-solid trust in the Source of provision, why would we be presumptuous enough to think we're an exception? 

So, how do we establish (achieve permanent acceptance) our hope in the Lord? "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17); we institute our trust in the Lord by listening to and paying attention to the word of God - studying (the devotion of time and attention to acquiring knowledge) to show ourselves approved (read 2 Timothy 2:15, KJV, https://rb.gy/2itrdd). The key of how to build faith in Jesus is as simple as spending time in the Word; praying for wisdom and discernment, listening to sermons, dissecting the messages and fact-checking against the Bible, and applying its principles. Then, you will gain a more substantial measure of faith. 

POWER IN PRAYER: Abba, Friend and Creator, your grace is sufficient. We thank you for all the provisions, from clean water to functioning organs and limbs, to sound minds, to breath in our lungs. We thank you. We praise your holy name for being the strength in our weakness and the light in the darkness. Thank you for giving us the direction and clarity for the purpose to which you have called us. We thank you in advance for reconciliation in broken marriages, dysfunctional families, and bruised relationships and for reconciling the lost back to you. We thank you for the peace that passes our human logic to be courageous enough to take the steps along the path you have placed before us. We appreciate your continued protection from hurt, harm, danger, and all evil. We thank you for the transformation that has occurred and is currently in motion in our lives and the lives of our loved ones. We thank you for our divine appointments; may we be obedient to your calling and exemplary in our thoughts, words, and actions. May what we do, think and say always be acceptable in your sight Father. Continue to lead us in our dealings so we may see ourselves, our circumstances, and others through your lens to be gracefully responsive, not impulsively reactive. Please help us to keep our focus on you and to prioritize tasks according to their importance. Meet us where we are, Abba, and help us to live a life transformed by your Word and will. As your angels and Holy Spirit do your bidding on Earth and Heaven, protect them and us with your recourse as you bind, loose, and cast out the demonic spirits of distraction, destruction, retaliation, revenge, and backlash. We ask and thank you for all these things in the matchless name of Yeshua. Amen!

As always, be mindful of the things you feed your body physically and figuratively. Be safe, be blessed, and prioritize your health and well-being! #SOW
 
Respectfully,
Tylesha "Tye" Allen   
Author | Mobile Notary | Founder of FMBS Inc.
   · Mobile: (951) 790-2127
   · Address: Los Angeles, CA
   · Lnk.Bio: https://lnk.bio/stronglyresilientizshe
   · Email: tyeallen99@yahoo.com 
   · Change begins within; work on becoming a better You, now not later.
   · "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8)

Move the Needle Forward (10/15/2022)

SALUTATIONS: What it do Fam? Have you ever avoided your more arduous tasks to complete the easier ones, only to miss the opportunity to meet them all? Often, we find ourselves occupied or busy with trivial tasks that don't foster the momentum needed to cultivate consistent success. Today we're going to highlight why it's essential to determine the steps necessary to move the needle forward. Let's get into it.

As a reminder, the Announcements, Healthy Living Tips, and other information that used to succeed the Reflections and Power in Prayer are now exclusively on my blogs (click on lnk.bio). So, at your leisure, be sure to check that out. Also, your suggestions for improvement are always welcome, so feel free to provide feedback anytime. 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:  Last week, I received a call that my son's grandma had about seven days to live, so we booked an emergency flight to visit her that next day. However, it was bittersweet because we got to see her and say our goodbyes, but she passed just a few hours later. I praise God that we made it in enough time to see her off before her final rest. You are still here to read this message through your pain and struggles, which means you're in a better position than many. Therefore, you have a reason to shout hallelujah. If you have a specific praise report, please share it because we "overcame [the adversary] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of [our] testimony" (Revelation 12:11, KJV). **NOTE: All praise reports are shared referencing your name unless anonymity is specified**

PRAYER REQUESTS: Let us pray for the Horton, Hudson, and Hogan families as they mourn the loss of my son's grandmother, Sharon Horton. Also, please pray for healing for Julius Philips, Marlene Woods, Justin Davis, Tony Stovall, and Johannie. Refrain 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 referencing your name and need unless anonymity is specified**

BE ENCOURAGED: NEVER lose sight of God amidst adversity… Ponder this: "If you can't do anything about it, then LET IT GO! Don't be a prisoner to things you can't change." (Tony Gaskins). I'm no theological scholar. 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, KJV), 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, and 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. Let's hold each other accountable.
 
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 minds and open our eyes, ears, and hearts 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, listen as we hear, and come into alignment with your Word and will. Help us to receive, believe in, and apply your Truth so 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, we thank you, Amen!
 
KEY PASSAGE(S) – PROVERBS 10:4-5: "⁴ Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. ⁵ He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully." 

**Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations originate from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) ® Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. All Scripture quotations were retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage regardless of the translation quoted.**

REFLECTIONS: If you're unfamiliar with the idiom moving the needle forward, it means making a noticeable change or modifying something so that your action's effect is measurable. So tonight, I aim to get you to understand the significance of developing the drive necessary to optimize your productivity as it relates to your daily (Kingdom) purpose-driven performance.

Proverbs 20:4 says, "The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, so he begs during the harvest and has nothing." By societal standards, a sluggard is someone who is lazy and doesn't work. However, in that text, I believe it's safe to assume that the writer is conveying that sluggards do work, but they merely miss their opportunities for development and increase. Here, the sluggard is idle instead of working. It sounds like a distraction to me. Think about it like this; you have a deadline to meet for a complex project. Perhaps there was a time limit appointed to you, or maybe you set the deadline for yourself based on your desired outcome. But, instead of gaining momentum by tackling the more tedious tasks, you spend extended time focused on the minor details - a misuse of your time that rushes you to the finish line with a less-than-stellar presentation. Basically, a sluggard is no respecter of time. They are often hesitant and slow to respond; they might eventually convince themselves to do the work, but in their negligence, they miss the season to yield a greater reward. 

Let's look at our key passage: "Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich." Now, let's define the terms negligent and diligent. Cambridge Dictionary defines negligent as "not being careful or giving enough attention to people or things that are your responsibility," and diligent as "done in a careful, detailed way and using a lot of effort." In all practicality, this scripture advises you to do the essential things that move you the most progressively in life. Everything outside of that is a distraction from greatness.

Ponder this: what are five moves that must be done to do what God has called you to do? Those essential tasks must be completed first - before the in-between trivial things. They might be more challenging, but completing said tasks will catapult the momentum needed to move the needle forward. Let's take a step back. You're probably trying to figure out how to distinguish which moves are critical and which are inconsequential. Well, that type of clarity will be revealed by Yahweh when you intentionally seek Him for that type of guidance. 

In the meantime, consider your satisfaction with the different values of your life. If you could enhance one of those values, which is the one that would improve all the others? Now, place all your energy into that one because it will pull the others up with it. For example, if your confidence, trust, mindset, courage, and organization require development, focusing on improving your mindset would also enhance your confidence, trust, courage, and organizational skills. Because all of the other values hang on your perceived notion about life, circumstances, who you are, and what you're capable of doing. Therefore, if your mindset remains negative, you'll be riddled with self-doubt, you won't trust yourself, and you will find it difficult to trust others and God. You'll hesitate to move forward out of fear of the negative possibilities because you'll ignore the positive probabilities. The disarray of your mind will most likely show up in your life as clutter and disorganization. These are my present revelations in life, yall! 

Shifting that one thing will change the perspective and trajectory of the others. Knowing which value holds the fate of all the others helps you focus on diligently working to improve the one so that the others will organically come into alignment. As you spend intentional time with the Lord, He'll highlight the distractions you have prioritized over your essentials. He will help you to avoid allowing other people's agendas to supersede His will for you. If you know your distractions already, break ties so they are no longer seeping in before you have spent intentional time with God.

Ask yourself this: is the thing you're prioritizing or spending time doing of greater importance than the thing, content, or impact that will actually help others? Is your involvement in that thing or with that person urgent or necessary?

We are called to be good stewards of our time. To be intentional with our yeses and our nos. Suppose you don't honor and balance your time with God, family, and your essential assignments. In that case, it enables everyone and everything else to disrespect the time you know is sacred but aren't acknowledging as such. Tomorrow isn't promised, so what we put off being idle, sluggard, or distracted could prevent alignment with God and the impact in the world that stems from the relationship and fundamentals established in His direction. Every opportunity has an expiration date, so whatever Yahweh calls you to do in this season, prioritize it as if EVERYTHING depends on its successful execution. 

Let your designated time for God, family, and work be strictly for that without interruption. Honor your breaks - do not allow work to seep into your time for God, family, rest, and recovery, and do not allow the negligence of sluggard behavior to interfere with the work God has appointed to you. Prayerfully, this message has helped you recognize the steps needed to prioritize and implement the necessary efforts required to help you move the needle forward.

POWER IN PRAYER: Lord, be Jireh. Your grace is sufficient. Help us to acknowledge and accept that if you don't grant us another blessing, the gift of salvation is enough. Our daily access to you is enough, Father. We praise you for our ups and downs because we know that we are made stronger in our endurance and trust in you. Thank you for the opportunities you give us to strengthen our faith by allowing your presence to serve as strength in our weakness. Abba, we thank you for giving us the clarity of purpose to which you have called us. We thank you for the wisdom, discernment, willingness, and peace that passes our human logic to move in the direction you lead. We appreciate the clarity of the essential steps and diligence to take those steps necessary to move the needle forward in our lives. Lord, we want to lift the Horton, Hogan, and Hudson families in prayer right now. We ask and thank you for providing peace and comfort in their time of grief. We ask that you will bring reconciliation in their family unit, and may any of them that are lost be reconciled with you. We now ask for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing over each of their family members, but also for Julius Philips, Marlene Woods, Justin Davis, Tony Stovall, and Johannie. Ultimately, Father and Friend, as we plead for your favor, we pray that your will be done and that we will be content and equipped to accept whatever your will may be. Please help us to keep our focus on you and to prioritize tasks according to their importance. Meet us where we are, Abba, and help us to live a life of transformed living. As your angels and Holy Spirit do your bidding on Earth and Heaven, protect them and us with your recourse as you bind, loose, and cast out the demonic spirits of distraction, destruction, retaliation, revenge, and backlash. We ask and thank you for all these things in the matchless name of Yeshua. Amen!
 
As always, be mindful of the things you feed your body physically and figuratively. Be safe, be blessed, and prioritize your health and well-being! #SOW
 
Respectfully,
Tylesha "Tye" Allen   
Author | Mobile Notary | Founder of FMBS Inc.
   · Mobile: (951) 790-2127
   · Address: Los Angeles, CA
   · Lnk.Bio: https://lnk.bio/stronglyresilientizshe
   · Email: tyeallen99@yahoo.com 
   · Change begins within; work on becoming a better You, now not later.
   · "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8)