Detecting Deceit

Once you tell a lie — Every word you speak becomes questionable...

We are living in a time where we are witnessing lies beyond human comprehension. Lying has become so very acceptable in our everyday dialogue. A person will commit an act —but because they were not on the receiving end, they will state that he didn't do what they've done!

Who tells the truth? Your government? The media? Your doctor? Information is a control mechanism to get your immediate response and trust.

I learned a long time ago that there is no authority other than the one who speaks the truth. So, before you put your trust in anyone, you need to equip yourself on how to detect deceit and deal with it.

                                           Detecting Deceit

Tell A Good Tale!

People will fall for a good story; a good story begins with beguiling – dramatic content – that creates conflict and tension – and a chain of events; they will have character witnesses (celebrities); then submerge you with information – harnessing your undivided attention. Then there's the urgency...

Catch Phrases

To sell us on the principle of their tales, liars will make big claims using catch-phrases. These range from “It’s Expected; Numbers Show; Promising; A New Report Reveals; New Signs Of; What You Need To Know;  (and my favorite) Our Experts...” Honest people don’t use these tactics.

Facial Expressions

Pay close attention to the person's face when they are talking. Less obvious clues your dealing with a liar will show by the reddening on the person’s cheeks, flared nostrils, lip nibbling, burrowed eyebrows, curved lips (downward) deep breathing, and rapid blinking; these signal that there is a chemical response taking place in their brain. Honest people are carefree people.

Eye Contact

Liars, when talking, will look away. They do this to recall what they are trying to lie about. People look to the right to remember, and to the left when visualizing. This is what actually takes place when liars are not making eye contact with you. It’s normal for someone to look away when asked a difficult question. But when someone looks around when asked a question, you should red—flag them.

Other facial clues reveal themselves in the over-emphasis facial expressions (such as a disappointed look on their face), head-nodding and hand gestures; OR they just read their scripts with serious looks on their faces.

Body Language

When detecting deceit, a person’s movement will show clues. Honesty is characterized by features that are in sync with one another—such as soft speech to a soft expression on their face. Liars are often tense— so their body language will reveal it. 

Create Distance

Liars need to distance themselves psychologically from their tales. They do this by putting emphasis on others (characters) to distance themselves from their lie. Their aim is to get others involved (even by blaming) to take the heat off of them. When they can't distance themselves from their lies, they will distance themselves from the people who knows their lies.

Cross Examination

Liars do not like to be questioned. They will go the distance to stop all lines of questioning and/or communication. The reason is they don’t have any proof to back their lie up. The truth never needs to be questioned because it will always reveal itself. 

The Uproar

When you confront someone about their dishonesty, be prepared for an up-roar! You just caught them off-guard so they will react with shock and anger. Their uproar is indeed evidence because lairs don't know how to react maturely. Let's remember, that a person who is honest is a person of authority - and those who have authority don't lose their minds!

Dealing With Deceit

Speak the Truth

When dealing with liars, we often tell "our side of the story". Forget all that. The truth never needs an explanation because it possesses it's own authority. When you tell your side, you water down that authority.

Have Evidence

If you need to tell your side, have compelling evidence and name witnesses who will vouch for you. Liars hate it when the truth stands against them. They fall and they fall hard! 

Resist the Liar

The Bible says in James 4:7b) Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The good news is the trash will take itself out — but you have to do your part and turn your back on the liar.

Take Authority 

Above (again), I mentioned that there is no authority other than the one who speaks the truth. As we observe God's Word and align our will to His Will, we are all in a position of authority to confront all of the lies.

Deuteronomy 28:13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

 I had the experience of dealing with a great liar — who happened to be my birth father. He claimed to be a Christian pastor & evangelist  — however he's the biggest con ever! I have witnessed him use people over & over again. 

An uproar took place at my home October 2023 when he came around looking for a hand-out. He knew he wasn't getting a thing! Two mornings later, I was watching a sermon from an ethical pastor when  this father of mine, gave off a tense vibe and left the room. 

Later that evening, he walked me into a dispute in which he denied being a decadent father and called me the liar for revealing his filth to his church overhead. I took authority and commanded them to leave — and so they fled!

The Take-Away

Remember, there is only one way to win with a liar —and that is by resisting them —because you will never win them.

God Bless,

Maria

 

Writing Wrongs

I was speaking with someone recently who asked "how do you hold yourself together after all you've been through"?

Interestingly enough, "I said, my haters have a version of me living in their minds - but that person doesn't exist - so they can talk all they want. 

Sure they have done me wrong, but I have been writing those wrongs - which has given me the upper hand, and freedom from their hate".

Creating (writing) your own life is the best way to experience it - no matter what you do, and no matter what you have been though.

Write your wrongs, write your rights, write your challenges, write your questions, write your victories,- always write - and watch your life take on a whole new clear direction!

8 Important Reasons To Forgive

"Blessed are those who forgive without an apology - for some were given and refused to forgive"

Luke 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

Oddly enough, there are twice as many reasons to forgive as opposed to refraining...

The primary reason people harbor unforgiveness is they abhor the idea of God's grace, and believe the person needs to pay for what they've done.

There are 4 typical reasons why people will not forgive:

1) They are indignant: Ephesians 4:26-27 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.

2) They believe that they are perfect and refuse to acknowledge their own sin: 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

3) They are filled with self-righteousness and prefer to judge what others have done instead of what they have done: Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

4) They are outside of God's love: 1 John 4:18-20 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

The Bible makes it clear that they are seeing themselves incorrectly. 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Those who have a perfect image of themselves do so out of a judging heart; There is only one judge James 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. This is the first & most important reason why a person needs to learn how to forgive. We are imperfect people - dealing with imperfect people!

The sinner is honest about their sin (Luke 7:47) and is willing to acknowledge it; but the one who judges is focused only on the sins of others. This is the second most important reason why we need to learn how to forgive. When we acknowledge our own wrongdoing, we are in a better position to recognize the need for mercy. I want to highlight an important point on this: Many have suffered unjust/undeserved abuse; your suffering does not qualify you as a judge; you responded with pride instead of humility. You need to take-care and realize that you are/were dealing with an imperfect person.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Unforgiveness is a poison to the soul, those who are only focused on the wrongs of others grow in self-righteous pride. This is the third most important reason we need to learn how to forgive. Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. (Remember, froward means righting your wrongs...)

There is this quote which reads; "it is much easier to become a Christian when you aren't one, than to believe you are already one". New Christians have this advantage: "they are only aware of the wrongs they themselves have committed".

Those who are locked-in to their own sense of being are headed for destruction. This is the fourth most important reason we need to learn how to forgive.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

When people deem themselves to be as holy as God, they have a false sense of authority. This is because the truth is not in them. They have elevated themselves higher than Jesus. Rather than taking accountability, they cut off the people who would question their integrity; but little do they realize that they are cut off! Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! This is the fifth most important reason we need to learn how to forgive.

Jesus tells us to learn from Him; however, we cannot learn from Him IF we are cut off from Him. Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. The Bible shows us that when our hearts are in Right Standing with God and others, we can endure anything. When we are in Right Standing with God, we have the Mind of Christ. 1 Peter 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. This is the sixth most important reason we need to learn how to forgive.

Christ's work in you is perfected when you overcome unforgiveness and all it's ugliness attached to it. 2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. This is the seventh most important reason we need to learn how to forgive. 

Unforgiveness leads to an eternity apart from God. This is the eigth most important reason we need to learn how to forgive. 

Proper teaching on forgiveness is one of the biggest fails of the modern church. 

The Modern church's teaching appeals to self as opposed to truth. The main reason I don't attend church is because they teach about the anti-Christ, not Jesus. Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 

I need to highlight another important point here; We do not deny that Jesus is the Son with our mouths, James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. We deny it with our character. The mouth is part of the flesh, but the heart is part of the soul: James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

I pray this speaks to your heart in a rich way. 

God Bless

Achieving God's Blessing

 

A popular article suggests to receive God's Blessing, one must serve with their time and money. This has people believing they are doing God a service through long prayers, saying grace in public, going to church, emotionally charged singing, charity, or even witnessing. They saturate themselves attempting to earn the unearnable. (Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:). This is not how to achieve God's Blessing.

We see a wonderful example how King Saul was in pursuit of David (1 Samuel 19:10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.) but David, (1 Samuel 24) had a deep respect to the point to where he called King Saul “God's Anointed”. 

Divine Blessing or Favor is not something you seek; but something that 'just happens'. It begins with having a good attitude toward God, all His people. This means treating difficult people like they are Your Personal Favorite – after all, this is what Jesus has already done for you – and expects from you. 

God's favor is real. It is set up to establish His Plan through you; not necessarily for you. (Psalm 90:17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.)

Though we’re all subject to the blessings of God, some are more blessed than others. I believe this has more to do with your willingness to perform God's Divine Calling over your life. So here it goes:

1. Love God – Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
2. Trust God – Isaiah 58:11 and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
3. Understand God – 1 John 1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 
4. Please God – Esther 2:9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
5. Serve God – Genesis 17:9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
6. Love people – Jonah 4:2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
7. Understand People – Jonah 4:4-8 Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry? So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
8. Serve People – 1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
9. Serve Your Family – 1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
10. Censure Yourself – 2 Timothy 3:2-3 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
11. Be Submitted – 1 Timothy 6:9-11 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
12. Be Blameless – Philippians 2:15 that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
13. Be Humble – James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
14. Be Honest – Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
15. Be Wise – Proverbs 14:24 The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.
16. Be Faithful – Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
17. Count Your Blessings – Psalm 103:1-2 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

This last point is pretty important; God doesn't necessarily bless You for YOU, He blesses you for you to perform His work. (Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.)

We humans have been conditioned by society to “one-up” our neighbor. We tend to look at their possessions and base our perception of God's Blessing on them by what they have. By doing so, we fail to understand what it means to have God's Blessing upon our own lives.

When God does Bless us, we need to remember to count our blessing with humility as opposed to pride; this is the difference between demonstrating gratitude or arrogance.

We need to take our role seriously so we do not fall short of entering into His Rest – which we only enter into after we fulfilled our calling. (Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.) 

God's Divine Blessing is about having peace over the pressures of life – not wealth.

Blessings,

 

The Power of Belief

Mark 11:24

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Whether it's Money, Health, Love, or Vocation, your belief system is an effective, no nonsense tool that will assist you in achieving what you desire for yourself. It's true - because it already stems from your heart - which is connected to the Maker of All Things!

Believe that you are, or have everything you desire in the present moment. Why? because your power of belief is the key that consciously creates your reality. You have been provided with a free will and ability to choose which path you will follow. This means that deep-down inside, you already know what you can manifest - and you've already been given the power to do it.

Do you want to know the secret as to what actually causes manifestation? It's the attitude of gratitude for what you have in this present moment. You have to appreciate what you have in the here-in-now. You need to do this, until the appreciation for the things you currently have now, feels natural to you. 

This attitude of gratitude is what brings you to the next level of receiving. Think about this: I have heard people say "I'm cursed with being poor - it is what it is".

By their words and a lack of appreciation for what they have, they curse themselves; they are not actually cursed, but they are blocking themselves. In reality, I have seen the same people given a great deal - yet they squander it - not appreciating - or taking care of what they've been given.

Are you beginning to see how this works?

There are 13 key-steps to removing the blockers, and manifesting your desires - so here it goes:

Accept The Challenge. The moment something important challenges you, it should change you. This is the first important step in the manifestation process - and your renewed life.

Accept Change. Your life (mindset) must change in order to move forward. If you are unwilling to change, then what you are attempting to manifest may never happen for you. 

Feel The Change. Norepinephrine is the hormone responsible for giving you the butterflies in your stomach. This hormone is present when you are going through major challenges & changes. It promotes vigilance, enhances formation and focus. It is there to reassure you that good things are in store for you. If you're feeling it, go with it!

Never Give Up! There will be setbacks - so be prepared to manage the downside. When you give up on your dream, you shut the door on your desires. 

Reject Restrictions! When people 'pray' for what they desire, they oft pray with a "Lord willing" perspective. Jesus never said that. He said when ye pray - believe! Quit imagining restrictions that are not there!

Pace Yourself. Give yourself time to manifest; nothing happens overnight.

Perceive It To Be True. Day-dream about it. If you can't see it, there is something in your mind/spirit that's blocking you from being able to see it. When you can't see the next step, don't worry; your inspiration will come to you when  you least expect it.

Strengthen Your Belief. I have heard many people say "it will never happen for me". It's as though they have set the universe against them all by themselves. You have to know that the universe put the desire in you to begin with. Accept the possibility!

Reject Failure. So, you didn't get what you want by the time you wanted it to happen. This is what you call "failure". Well Failure is an illusion; what really took place is your belief worked against you because deep down inside of you, you didn't believe it was possible. Your experience brought you to this stage - so, this is where you begin again!

The Back-Up Plan! The best thing is to always have a back-up plan, right? Wrong! Your back-up plan tells the universe that you have already accepted a different outcome. Remember that!

Fear Not! The moment you doubt is the moment you stop all manifestation.

Be Sure Of It! Whatever you believe for, the bottom line is you must be absolutely sure that you will get it - to the point where you know how to obtain it. 

Convert Believing Into Knowing! Faith is going from "I hope so - to I know so". The moment you know that it will happen for you is the completion of the manifestation. Once this stage begins, your desires become your realities. 

In conclusion, it is your mindset that determines your direction. 

20 Ways to Start Believing in Yourself

Believing in yourself is the starting point where all things manifest from. When you don't believe in yourself, you literally block everything from happening for you. It's the difference between wishing you had luck - and creating your own luck.

Learning how to believe in yourself is necessary for achieving goals and handling challenges, but how do we do it?

The first step to opening yourself up to believing in yourself is to learn how to stop being your own critic, and start being your own proponent. In all honesty, you will never live a positive life when you are trash-talking yourself.

If you are someone who finds yourself engaging in trash-talk, you need to pay more attention to what you are saying to yourself throughout the day.

You need to ensure your self-talk is working for you, rather than against you. 

You will want to note that it is not wise to trash-talk others. This is important to your success. Why you may ask? Because you will experience setbacks - and those you trash-talked will mock you when you slip up. It's a kind-of karma where you talk bad about others, then bad happens only to you. Your success is not based on how poorly you see others; it is based solely on you focusing on your good nature and your abilities.

Here are 20 ways to believe in - and affirm yourself:

1. I am confident in my abilities and open to new challenges.
2. I have everything it takes to be successful.
3. I can achieve anything I put my heart into.
4. I deserve kindness and respect from others.
5. I get better every day.
6. I have so much to offer others.
7. I will stand up for myself.
8. I am a good hearted person.
9. I draw from those who are successful and inspire me.
10. I know the good I am capable of.
11. I am exactly who I am supposed to be.
12. I am happy with the person I am. 
13. I am content with my life.
14. I deserve kind and supportive people in my life.
15. I have many strengths and apply them for the greater good.
16. I am aware of my weakness and am working on them.
17. I am open to healthy and positive relationships.
18. I am proactive.
19. I am in control.
20. I make right choices, and choose right responses.

People who doubt themselves are guaranteed to fail. 

It is important that you combine the positive self-talk with actions congruent with them. You will want to make a habit of building this into your regular work/home life first before applying them when pursuing your dreams. Believing you can is 80% of your success ☺️

The Power To Forgive

Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

This is my dog Judah. We got him Christmas Day 2020. He’s a Shephard/Hound cross. We got him when he was three and a half months old. We suspect that his puppy beginnings were not so great by how he was, and how long it took him to warm up to us. We’ve had dogs in the past, but they’ve been small dogs; this time, I wanted a real dog. The only experience I had with a large breed dog was when I was 5. I had a St Bernard. She was special to me and I never got over losing her. 

In the spring of 2020, we bought a new home. Since the home was of significant size, we thought about getting a dog, but we put it off because we were renovating and setting things up. There were a lot of things to upgrade. When I first saw the home on the market in November of 2019, I was put off by it. When February of 2020 rolled around, I decided to take a closer look especially when the owners dropped the price - and it was beside a creek. We felt good about it - so we went ahead with the purchase - and ended up getting a great deal!

I enjoyed setting up our new home. Obtaining it was nothing short of a miracle. When the pandemic began, there was the "Mad March" market drop. We used our RRSP's to finance our down payment. The Monday after the RRSP withdrawal (which was the previous Friday), the market experienced one of the greatest drops in history. Had we not withdrawn the RRSP when we did, we would have lost 35% of the down-payment and would have had to make up the difference in the down-payment (which we didn't have) or run the risk of forfeiting the down-payment and losing the home altogether. 

I believe God had his hand in this... Psalm 44:3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

In the summer, we had another interesting experience in which we were able to repay the full RRSP withdrawal back! We figured this was now the time to get a dog - but I put it off. I decided to pray about it because I wanted to make sure that I was the right person for the dog. I prayed about it for three months, then I started to pursue one in November - believing that I was in the right position to welcome one into my new home.

I found a couple of beautiful dogs, but they fell through for reasons that crushed my heart.

By this time, the lockdowns were in full force and that was disheartening enough; I began to feel a little desperate. I saw Judah advertised as a dog named Timer, but I hesitated because there was something sketchy about the photo.

After a long - daunting search for a suitable dog with unfavorable results, I decided to consider Timer. 

I spoke with the dog-breeder (puppy-mill) and I learned that this dog had a great deal of my own character traits and I was assured he was trained to go to the bathroom outdoors. So I arranged a meeting which happened to be on Christmas Day.

The woman - Kayla pulled up and about 8 dogs (including puppies) all pooled out of a little old hatch-back. I said I wanted to get a feel for the dog without a commitment. She said that for a "hold" she would go into town and then come back. I agreed. When she pulled away, I realize that I now had a dog that I wasn't totally sure of and she had my deposit. She called, and demanded the remainder via e-transfer. So we sent it, and from that moment on, we were dog owners.

The first thing this dog did was he started to chew everything! Don't laugh, it was wicker!

Since it was the early afternoon on Christmas Day, we had no way to get to the pet store to get supplies (we were unprepared because of the sudden thrust upon us). So we allowed the wicker to get chewed up until we were able to get Timer - now Judah, some provisions.

We got him a comfy bed - which he chewed up. We got him stuffed toys - which he chewed up; my husbands high-top Nike's - all chewed up, and then we were all cut-up because he chewed on us as well! Wow - his teeth were sharp!

By this time, I was uncertain that getting Judah was a good decision. Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I decided to pray about this - so I asked God what the right decision was. I didn't want to give up on Judah, so after I prayed about it. I believed that God would condition my heart so I was the right person for the dog (it's never the other way around).

I took him for all his shots - and after them, he was still exhibiting aggressive behavior. The vet suggested to get him neutered (by this time he was past 4 months). I went ahead with it and he was less aggressive with us.

At the beginning of summer, when the new carpet smell dissipated and the temperatures increased, I noticed an odor. I then realized he covered all of the main area upstairs, on my new carpet, with his pee! I broke down. It took several hours over several days, loads of disinfecting solution and a great deal of time on my knees to blot it all out. 

While I was on my knees, I recalled Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."

As God spoke to my heart with this verse, I realized that is how forgiveness works; we can't remove what we've done or change how our actions have affected God or others. I understood this because Judah has paws and not hands. He also did not have what it takes to physically clean the carpets; the ownership was on me to clean - the ownership was also on me to also forgive - but it could only come through the conditioning of my heart. I wanted to give up on Judah and considered rehoming him, but I knew that was not an option.

Then I understood what God did for us through Christ Jesus his Son. You see, He blots out our sin - not us - we can't - we don't have the right tools; it came by the heart of God through the Blood of Jesus. This is the only "solution" that removes the stain of sin on our soul. 

I looked at Judah and cried and cried; As I did, he was aware that his actions caused me grief. That grieved him and Judah has never peed in the house since! 

This is how forgiveness works; I was the one who suffered - but I was also the one who had to forgive. 1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Only the injured person can blot out the transgression, and when it is blotted out, the relationship heals and is restored. Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Jesus was wounded on the Cross; from His example, we learn that it is only the wounded person who must forgive because they are the only one in the position to offer it. 1 John 4:20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? The person who offers forgiveness seeks love and restoration...Proverbs 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

You see, when someone does you wrong, your heart will respond in love (restoration) or hate (division or separation); it is solely based on the condition of your heart: 1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. When we respond in love, we show God that we truly are His children!

A year later, I feel so blessed to have the joy, comfort and companionship Judah brings; he is so much a part of our family that he even has his own room!

God Bless,

Maria

Simplifying Forgiveness

An Eye For An Eye

Leviticus 24:20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

King Hammurabi reigned in ancient Babylonia from 1792-1750 BC.

He was well favored by the people because he considered the pleasures and comforts of them rather than just himself and his noblemen.

King Hammurabi brought in a set of laws known as the Code Of Hammurabi.

Death was often a punishment for criminals for even the most minor offence.

Under this Code, people were considered innocent until proven guilty. When guilty, they were punished under the "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" method.

We see that the Bible shows this as well in the above verse.

Nowadays, people offend one-another continually. A great deal of these situations are not worthy of going to court over; so, what do we do with minor offenses?

Jesus outlines it clearly:

Matthew 5:38-45 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

We need to learn how to turn away from those who are bent on evil.

When we oppose them, their (heart) condition worsens, and the stubbornness of their hearts harden towards us.

Although their hatred is not necessarily our problem, we still need to address the difference between what is holy, and what is profane.

When disagreements arise, It's usually "I'm right", "no, I'm right". God's Word is the only authority because truth is right and it doesn't pick a side.

Ezekiel 44:23-24 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.

This passage shows us that when disputes arise, everyone involved stands in judgment, and it is only those whose hearts are humble before God's authority that will show forth to be clean, and walk out from under God's judgement. So remember, an eye for an eye only sees the outside - not the person's heart, which is what matters to God the most.

God Bless,

Maria

WHO ARE YOU?

 

WHO ARE YOU? (All links go to KJV Scripture Reference)

This is one of the most difficult questions to answer - and there's a reason for that!
As human beings, we have a tendency to think of our man/womanhood as something concrete and tangible that connects us to the 'real world'; that's why we follow celebs and mimic them in appearance and attire. After all, fitting in is what we aim for - right?
Who we really are is nothing more than a product of our minds-in terms of how we see ourselves IN this said 'real world'!
As we go through experiences, we develop our own idea that either enables or disables our ability to relate to - or fit-in this world we live in.
The good times offers comfort, but the bad times challenge our establishment. These challenges are what cause a schema that is supposed to break us from this world, and embolden us to see things from a new perspective.
We need these experiences because we are not here to stay; we are only passing through.
Getting back to the question of Who Are You?

You are a mental being, not just any mental being, but a self-conscious mental being; but your state of mind depends upon how self-aware (awake) you are to sound judgment.
The world would have you follow after the image of celebs as opposed to the Image of God - chasing after the glamour and having you doubt your beauty, gender, your wellness, the rhythm of your heartbeat, the sound of your cough - all the way down to your own happiness. The world wants you to doubt everything about your life all - especially the foundation we are built on (shape of the earth)! The world causes this because they want to control you. As people identify themselves in their weakness (doubts)- they give their power over to the world's system without realizing it.
If this said 'real world' is where you identify yourself, then you are in a world of trouble!
There is only One Way to pull yourself out and that is by removing yourself from it altogether. You do that by reversing what the world taught you and returning to the foundation that God placed you upon (A Perfect Foundation).

The story on David & Goliath is altogether a perfect example of going against the world and the labels they attach onto you.
When you go with the flow you are only drowning in the sea. The way to fight the world's system is by going against the grain by causing friction and making a difference! What you overcome is what you become, and like Christ, HE overcame the world - including death! (John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.)

When you overcome mental/spiritual challenges by working in opposition against them, you are in a position to make a difference in this fake world we live in. It is then and there that 'Who You Are' is established.

God Bless!