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Where in Virginia is the country’s oldest African American Museum? Hampton University!

Join me for another AARP Virginia Treasures on Wednesday, February 15 from 1-2 p.m. to find out about this wonderful historic museum.

 Use the link below to register and join us live for this event. You do not have to be a member of AARP to attend… I’ll see you then!

Love & Blessings!

Gwen

We are starting the New Year with a BANG! Shockingly, we have had several mass shootings, school shootings, and Tyre Nichols has been murdered by the police. Unfortunately, none of these things are new, but in the first month of this New Year it has been ratcheted up! Something is WRONG!

I believe we all can agree that these heinous acts are EVIL. It is a spirit of evil that has caused these unmerciful acts. Furthermore, it is quite disturbing. On the surface we contend we need better laws, better policies, better supervision, etc. However, we need to go deeper. When we go deeper, we realize we have a SPIRITUAL problem in the world. This is nothing new. The Bible says there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

While JESUS walked the earth he talked of things in the SPIRIT world. Many, even the disciples, had a difficult time understanding what He was talking about. So much so, they beat him unrecognizable and then hung him on the cross. Basically, it was a political act against Him. The bigger picture it was God’s will to save man from their heinous sins. Consistently, in God’s eyes sin is sin is sin. Invariably, it is all heinous to Him. That is why He sent Jesus to die for those sins.

The answer to all of these heinous acts lies in Jesus Christ. It goes far beyond knowing Him and who He is. Having a genuine heart for Him is a game changer! It changes how we respond to Him and others. Our love for Him pushes us toward obedience. goes to loving Him and being obedient to Him. It causes us to crucify our flesh EVERY DAY so that God gets the glory out of our lives.

Sin will always be with us until Jesus returns. We know this from the Bible. Still, through it all, we can have the abundant, victorious life God has promised us on the earth. It is in the spirit world where there is the love, peace, joy, goodness, kindness, patience, self-control, faithfulness, and generosity God has offered us. It is God’s prescription to the abundant, victorious life He has promised us. Amen! Love and Blessings!

Ezra leads the Israelites back to Jerusalem after being in captivity in Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.  So, for many years the Israelites were living in a different land with different customs, and they mingled with the people.  Of course, the Babylonians did not believe in the most high God. The Israelites had to be oh so careful not to take on the customs and beliefs of another nation.

One of the things God asked the Israelites not to do was to marry into this God forsaken land. Why? It is because they worshipped idols. Repeatedly, God has warned Israel over and over and over again to not have any other God before Him. Even if you are in a foreign land, you should not have any other God before me.

This is a wonderful illustration and reminder for us as we live in this world. Although we live in the world we are not of this world. Sometimes we forget this as we go about living our lives. We think we have to take on the beliefs of the culture when culture is not always with our God. We get caught up in the passions of this world and forget about the passion we should have for our God,

In Chapter 9 of Ezra as the people are preparing to move back to Jerusalem, we see many of the Israelites disobeying God and marrying daughters of sons of this foreign land. When Ezra hears what the Israelites are doing, he rents his garment and plucks the hair off of his head and beard… Ouch! This is a symbolism of how awful sin is. We forget that sin destroys us. Ezra is astonished that the people did this because it will present problems for the people as they move back to Jerusalem with their foreign families.

I do not believe this is an indictment on mixed marriages. As we know in our society, we have mixed marriages. I do not believe God is against mixed marriages. I believe He is against people who are unequally yoked; people who are not believers of Him.

God still gives us free choice and free will. It is up to us if we decide to be obedient to him or not. However, being the sovereign God that He is, He already knows it will present problems and challenges for the believer. It does not make Him love them any less for He wishes ALL would come under His saving grace. However, because we do have free choice and will and because we do live in a fallen world, unfortunately, Satan will try to take as many people with him on his doomsday. And for those of us who decide to marry nonbelievers it is not the abundant, victorious life God has promised us. Love & Blessings!   

The descendants of David were good and bad. We see this theme throughout the Bible. Upon Hezekiah’s death, his son Manasseh takes over. The Bible describes him as evil in II Chronicles 33:2. Again, a reminder of just because you may have a mom, dad, sister, brother, relative, heir, to serve the Lord does not necessarily mean everyone related to you may be connected to our God. Sometimes we assume because we were raised in the same family we all believe the same. That is clearly not the case as we see repetitively in the Bible.

Manasseh tears down what his father, Hezekiah, built and started worshipping Baalim. He is using witchcraft and building all kinds of alters NOT unto our God. Once again, this makes God angry. He carves idols and causes the people to do worse than what the heathens have done (v. 9).

Out of God’s graciousness and mercy, he tries to appeal to Manasseh. He speaks with him and the people over and over, but they will not take heed. Then the Assyrians come knocking again. The Lord sends them! They kidnap Manasseh and take him to Babylon. There he suffers much affliction. Finally, the bad boy becomes humbled. He humbles himself to the Lord and prays to him. The Lord delivers Manasseh and he is returned home. Because of this, Manasseh becomes a believer of the Lord God Almighty! Two significant lessons, God can change anyone’s heart if they want to be changed even bad boys. Learn the lesson of not putting other things, people, places, and stuff, before God… He HATES it! Love & Blessings!   

So God saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem and Judah from King Sennacherib and his psychological warfare against them. This elevated Hezekiah even more with his people and surrounding kingdoms and nations.

Presents and gifts were brought to our God and Hezekiah, II Chronicles 32:23. Unfortunately, because we are in this fleshly body, we still have to be on guard against it. Hezekiah became prideful for a minute and it drew the wrath of God.

God does not hide what makes Him mad. He tells us over and over and over again HE HATES PRIDE! So we have to be all so careful we are not operating out of pride because it will draw the wrath of our God.

Hezekiah quickly corrected himself and humbled himself, once again, before the Lord. The lesson is, WE NEED GOD! Don’t forget it. We need God for everything in our lives. The Bible says once Hezekiah humbled himself it kept the wrath of the Lord away from him and the people.

Hezekiah had much riches, treasures of all kinds. Storehouses were increased with all manner of beasts, herds, and flocks. His cities increased, too. II Chronicles 32:29 says “… God have given him substance very much.”   

This was all God’s doing. Hezekiah knew where his blessings, abundance, favor, and substance was coming from. He dare not trample over the goodness of the Lord. Hezekiah prospers in all his works (v. 30).

We see here an example of what it looks like when God magnifies you. If you are struggling for success could it be it is because you are trying to magnify yourself and not God? Love & Blessings!

The image above tells you what God will do for you. Moreover, it is through Jesus and the Holy Spirit we experience these things in life. Again, a mystery, but this is how it is done. Satan, on the other hand, will attack you on many levels that are also listed. Contrast the things we experience with Satan. There is a clear distinction of what we experience with God and Satan. Let’s examine a little closer.

God brings us light. Graciously, he sent his son Jesus, born to save the world! So, Jesus is the ultimate light! Furthermore, he is the beautiful example God sent us His Son on Earth. Invariably, we receive many things from what Jesus did for us along with the Holy Spirit, the comforter, who ministers to us today. For example, we have PEACE and CLAMNESS in the midst of our storms. We have REVELATION and ENLIGHTENMENT into difficult situations in our lives and how to solve them. These are just some of the things we have with Jesus.

Satan brings us darkness. He is a counterfeit, too. Sometimes he may try to appear as an angel of light. However, we know if what we see does not come in line with God’s word, it is a counterfeit. Satan will HARASS and PUSH us into things that are not of God. He loves to FRIGHTEN and CONFUSE us which produces unnecessary STRESS. Satan is DOMED and he constantly LIES to us about the TRUTHS of God. ETERNAL life with God is ours, but not his… His is eternal DAMNATION and FIRE.

So, we have a choice. The BEAUTY of this choice is God has a tailored made plan for each of our lives. It is ours to find the path and walk the journey. God’s love for us and what Jesus did for us on the cross should empower us to do better and be a HEART follower, not a fan of Jesus that we should be. Love & Blessings!

Let Jesus lead the way to a BLESSED year. He unveils the abundant victorious life God has promised us! Love & Blessings!

Happy Birthday, Jesus! EVERY DAY is your day! You gave your ALL for us. We are so humbled and honored to represent YOU on the earth as modern-day disciples.

Your instructions are in your word, the Bible. Our comforter and guide, The Holy Spirit., is our constant companion. We want for nothing because it is all in YOU!

God, we thank you for your sweet Son who you sent to show us the way to the abundant, victorious life you promised us here on the earth and eternal life with you forever more. Jesus, our Savior, our Lord, and our Master, we LOVE you… May your name forever be honored and blessed. Amen!

I never knew the Bible could be so good! Overall, it makes for good reading to build our confidence and trust in God. It also gives us an opportunity to know and have a deeper love and appreciation of our God. How can you say that you TRULY love God if you do not know who He is? We can have surface love, surface faith, but the abundant, victorious life God has promised us is found in the SPIRIT. It is the deeper things of God that you cannot find on the surface.

The Holy Spirit will show up as YOU start to read the Bible. That is the other significance of reading the Bible. So, as I am reading this fascinating story of how King Sennacherib of Assyria is trying to overthrow Jerusalem and Judah along with the other fenced cities in the land. King Hezekiah has prepared his people though. He strategically fortified the land as best he could. He then spoke to his people about how God will fight our battles. After you have done your part and did things the way God has asked, he says, then God will step in and do his part. However, there is always Satan who will come along and try to convince you to doubt God. He tells you God is not going to do anything for you. The same happens in this story.

After Hezekiah has encouraged his people, in II Chronicles 32: 8, King Sennacherib sends his servants to discredit everything Hezekiah tells them. Sennacherib’s servants tell the people Hezekiah is setting them up to die by thirst and famine. Further, he asks who are they putting their trust in, the Lord God? Then they start to undermine Hezekiah’s leadership by “reminding them” Hezekiah took away their high places and alters. Moreover, they could only worship one alter and burn incense upon it (v. 11-12).

Next, Sennacherib uses intimidation. He reminds them of what he and his army have done to other people and their land and how their gods were not able to stop them (v. 13-14). He goes on to say in versus 15 to not let Hezekiah deceive or persuade them. They ramped it up by telling them not to believe Hezekiah. That no other gods have been able to stop them and our God was no different.

It turns a little comical for me because in their arrogance they go on and on. The Bible says that they wrote letters to the people to rail against God and Hezekiah. They then cried and used loud speech in the Jewish language to affright and trouble them that they would take the city (v. 18). 

This, my friend, is one of the best examples of psychological warfare I have seen! It worked to a certain degree because it caused Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah to pray and cry to heaven (v. 20). God heard them and EVERYTHING that Sennacherib and his servants were saying, too. The Bible says in versus 21 God sent and angel to cut off the mighty men of valor, leaders, captains in the camp of Sennacherib. When Sennacherib returned to his land, his people, and his god, he was slain with the sword. Holy wisdom tells us psychological warfare does not work in the face of our Lord! Love & Blessings!   

King Hezekiah loved God. Yet, his father, Ahaz was an evil king during his reign. These men are descendants of King David, a man after God’s own heart. We see this theme throughout the Old Testament that just because you may have heirs, descendants, relatives, etc., who loved and served God does not mean everyone in the family believes and thinks the same way. The same is true even in families today which is a reminder each of us has to work out our own soul salvation.

Hezekiah reestablished Jerusalem and Judah back to God. He set the people back and a right path. During his father’s reign, they had strayed once again (II Chronicles 29, 6-10). However, we also see that God is so gracious and merciful. God was eager to take His people back when they humble themselves before Him (II Chronicles 30: 9).

As you read on in II Chronicles 32, King Sennacherib encamped around the fenced cities including Jerusalem and Judah to win them for himself (V.1). Does this sound familiar with what Putin wants to do with Ukrainian. As we read further, Hezekiah became strategic. He cut off the fountains and water supply in the land. He fortified all of the walls that were broken. Furthermore, he built them up to the towers and increased their production of making darts and shields in abundance. He then spoke to his people and reminded them to be strong and courageous and not be afraid of their multitudes.

Does this not sound so familiar to Putin, Russia’s president versus Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president? Hezekiah went on to tell his people they fight with the arm of flesh we have the Lord God to help us and to fight our battles! Wow! What confidence did Hezekiah have in our God! We, too, should have the same confidence! If we are serving God with our HEART, we should have the same confidence. We do not have to figure out how God will fight our battles. We just have to have confidence and trust He will get us through ANY situation… Praise God! Love & Blessings!