Flipping The Script

Flipping through script means to do the unexpected. God is the master of flipping the script. He had shown us throughout the Bible that whenever a person or situation arises and seeks to threaten His purpose or destiny for our lives, He steps in and flips the script.

He did it with Esther. When Haman thought he could destroy the Jewish people. God stepped in and flipped the script. He did it with Daniel when the evil script was written to destroy the lives of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the fiery furnace, God flipped the script and they came out untouched.

But the most important script that God flipped was the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In Genesis satan (the serpent) thought he had the advantage over humanity, but God sent His Son into the world to be a sacrifice for our sins. It was through the resurrection of Jesus that God indeed flipped the script. Now we get to walk in His power and authority in the earth.

Just as He flipped the scripts with Esther, Daniel, and Jesus, He flipped the script again. In my opinion, the world had been in a dark place the last few years God has flipped the script again.

God can flip the script in our personal situations too. He sure did in my life. I was headed down a dark road when He found me. If He had not flipped the script, I more than likely would not be where I am today.

Be encouraged that God can flip the script in your personal situation. Don’t believe the lie that it’s over and you will live in this season forever. God can flip the script in any situation. He is able to do the unexpected.

Trust In God, Not The World

Trust is a serious issue with God, He invites us to trust in Him with all our hearts (Proverbs 3:5). Isaiah 2 remind us to always place our trust in God rather than man. It’s easy to look to others for strength and help. We seek peoples advice, and seek their approval, and all the while, we fail to look to God for these things. 

“Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for what account is he?” -Isaiah 2:22

We let the world define us, when only God can define us. We let the world change who we are when God created us to be unique.

Trusting God is not just a feeling, it’s a commitment to have faith in what he says, even when we don’t understand.

There are benefits to trusting God.

Having the courage to trust God can help us face our fears. trusting God can give us wisdom to make good choices. Trusting in God can help us withstand life, challenges, and trust in God help us shape our character.

Trust in God can help guide us through all situations and circumstances. Better outcomes come from trusting God.

Isaiah 26:3 tells us about the peace and rest we have from trusting God,

“You will keep whoever’s mind is those steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.”

God promises us that when we build our life on trusting Him, our life will be secure and fruitful, even in the most challenging and dry times of life.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 tells us God has set a choice before every one of us.

“ I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, but I have said before you, life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, whose life that you may live, you and you are descendants, love the Lord, your God, to obey His voice, and to clean to Him for He is your life, and the length of your days.

The power of pressing God is the ability to find strength, peace, and resilience in challenging situations by fully believing in God‘s goodness, power and plan, allowing us to overcome our fears and anxieties while leaning on His guidance and support, Which ultimately leads to a deeper sense of purpose and inner stability.

Three Objects

What are three objects you couldn’t live without?

There are three items I could not live without. The first one is my Bible. I rely on it to have a close relationship with God. It helps guide my way when making tough decisions.

The second one is a vehicle. I rely on it to get to the grocery store, and visit friends.

The third one is coffee, it would be a struggle to not have a hot cup of coffee during my day. I could do it if I had to, but I definitely enjoy my coffee.

We have become too dependent on the luxuries of life. The simple things to have a certain lifestyle. Even to the point of having anxiety when we are forced to live without them. Instead we should be focused on personal growth, relationships, and health, they are the important things in life.

Personal Growth Throughout Life

What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

My life has been full of tragedy. The loss of my young brother drowning at age 11. Another brother was murdered over a drug deal. The way my mother treated me, I had to grow up fast and it was hard.

There is actually a psychological phenomenon called post-traumatic growth when which happens through traumatic experiences that can lead to personal development.

It gives you a deeper appreciation for life, stronger relationships, and increased resilience, even through the pain of the tragedy it remains present. But post-traumatic growth is not a quick process, and it’s important to allow time for healing and processing the traumatic trauma before expecting growth.

The Tragedy I’ve been through helped me reevaluate my priorities, develop coping mechanisms, and have empathy for others who are going through traumatic experiences too.

Controlling Our Thoughts

If we are honest, we all struggle to control our thoughts. Ungodly and evil thoughts are constantly seeking to wage war in our minds. The question is do we dwell on those thoughts or fight to switch those thoughts?

“When you fix your thoughts on God, God fixes your thoughts.”

This seems really simple, but how many of us let our thoughts wander? God gives us the victory through Jesus.

In our struggle, we can rest in the perfect work of Jesus on our behalf. Those who place their faith in Jesus alone for salvation have been given the Holy Spirit, who helps us fight against sin and temptation.

We can switch our thoughts faithfully without trouble or disquiet when we recall our minds to God we can keep our minds from wandering.

Our thoughts lead to purposes, and purposes go forth to action, actions form habits, and our habits decide our character and character is what changes our destiny.

We can keep our memory clean and pure when we know the Word of God, what He says about us, and His promises.

Our strange thoughts need to be trimmed and adorned with God’s ways and Jesus’s virtues of living a crucified life.

With the sword of the Spirit, (God’s Word) we can become strong and withstand Satan and his ways.

Our Destiny

Do you believe in fate/destiny?

I believe that we are all born with a destiny. God has a purpose for our lives. It’s our identity in life. The events in life lead us to a specific role in life in order to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.

I also believe that no one is predestined to go to hell. We have free will, it’s that free will and the choices we make that will send us to hell.

God made it simple: Believe in Him, learn and obey His Word, follow His ways and He will bless us in life and in death.

When we mess up repent and turn away from our sin and try again. God knows we are not perfect, but He expects us to try.

The God Factor

In life there are many challenges, sometimes we forget the God factor. I call it the God factor because it is God showing up in the middle of life’s worst situations and doing what seems impossible.

One of the things I’ve learned in my walk with Jesus is that the impossible is not near impossible as I think it is. He makes all things possible.

Philippians 4:13 reminds us “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Isaiah 55:8 Jesus tells us “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.”

When I forget the verses above -The God factor. I begin to think like a mere person, limited by what I can do in my own strength. But God has created us for so much more.

Factoring in the God factor releases faith as it is totally dependent on what He can do through His strength and His strength is limitless we can raise our level of expectation.

“With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible” Matthew 19:26

No matter how difficult or seemingly impossible a situation may be, with God’s help anything can be achieved.

The Race Of Endurance

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” -Hebrews 12:1

God has a race for us to run. He has a purpose for our lives. To run this race means to acknowledge that God’s purpose for our lives is what matters the most. Our 1st priority should be to discover and complete the purpose God has set before us.

We are each called by God to play a unique role in human history.

We are not eligible to run the race until we choose to enter it. God has already paid the entrance fee for us through His Son on the cross. So the issue isn’t about eligibility, but willingness.

Running this race must be something we continue day after day. It’s not to compete against others it’s about the destination.

The race requires endurance. It starts the moment we choose Jesus and lasts until we die or Jesus returns. This race through life has all kinds of hills and obstacles.

Imagine showing up to a marathon with your running shoes and 2 suitcases. We won’t make it far, just because we think we need all the stuff we’ve packed. But before to long we will have to make a choice to get rid of the excess baggage or get out of the race.

Most of us carry around excess baggage of sin, emotional burdens, and unresolved issues that we carry around and dread and then wonder why it’s difficult to stay in the race. These things easily entangle us and weigh us down with unnecessary baggage. But, when we repent and give it to God, all that extra baggage we carry will be lifted off us.

If we find that it’s difficult to stay in the race, the first thing we should check is what we are carrying.

Difficult Phases In Life

Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.

Life comes with difficult phases in life. A fees of mine has been losing my father, my children moving out of the house, and recovering from cancer. But through all of that I had hope. Because I believed in the promises of God.

The assurance of His presence and His willingness to help if we ask Him gave me the confidence to face these challenges. Knowing there was something bigger than me and what was happening was key.

When I find myself in desperate situations, I know I can turn to God trusting that He will provide peace and comfort. I like the Verse in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9,

“We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed.”

The reality of facing difficult and challenging times is being encouraged and assured that even though I may be pressed m every side, I will not be crushed by the weight I feel in difficult times.

When facing difficult times Jesus invited us to come to Him. He promises to give us rest and ease the burdens that weigh us down. He offers to teach us and guide us through difficult phases in our lives.

Being Someone Else

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?

If I could be someone else for a day, I would choose not to. It would be comparing yourself to someone else, and that would lead to negative emotions. And could lead to jealousy and diminished self-worth.

If you have a history of anxiety and depression in your life pretending to be someone else only triggers that.

Instead I practice gratitude, focus on being myself. It’s okay to be imperfect. God made us to be unique, we all have our own paths in life.

Responding VS Reacting

When someone says or does something that upsets us, our impulse can be to react right away, to let them know how we feel. When emotions are running high, these reactions are not helpful, and our mouths say things that get us into trouble. Reacting may feel good in the moment. If we take time to let our emotions settle down and respond from a calmer perspective and can lead to a better outcome.

Reactions are typically quick and emotional, driven by our immediate feelings, and less thoughtful words. It’s often automatic, immediate, and emotional that can be influenced by our past experiences and even our subconscious.

In contrast, a response is thoughtful, deliberate, and rooted in emotional intelligence. It involves stepping back analyzing the situation and then considering what we’re feeling and why we are feeling it. Responding involves considering the consequences of possible outcomes, and choosing a course of action that aligns with our goals.

There are a few things to consider that involve responding rather than reacting.

  • Pause and breathe -Deep breaths can slow the physical sensations of stress, and give your mind a moment to catch up before we speak.
  • Reflect before you speak -Take a moment to consider what you want to accomplish. This will help you align your actions with your objectives.
  • Practice active listening -Fully understanding the other person’s perspective can be essential in responding effectively.
  • Identify your triggers -Everyone has triggers, which can be defined as situations, words, or behaviors that can provoke intense emotional reactions. Having an awareness of our triggers can help us feel prepared to handle them more calmly when they happen.
  • Use I statements -When we respond or express our thoughts and feelings by starting sentences with “I” instead of “you.” This helps us focus on our personal experiences rather than accusing or blaming the other person so that our exchange can be constructive and less confrontational.

Knowing God’s Love

“You will know God’s Truth

Knowing God‘s truth is not about feeling the love of God. It’s knowing and understanding that God‘s love isn’t based on emotional feelings, but rather on actively living according to God and principles. Knowing God‘s truth and demonstrating love through actions are not just experiencing warm feelings.

The Bible often emphasizes that true love is demonstrated through actions, not just feelings.

By studying and understanding the Bible, we can gain knowledge of God‘s will, which is considered the truth.

To truly “know” God‘s love means to live a life aligned with the principles found in the Bible.

1 John 4:16 says,

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us, God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

Unfortunately, many people have made love the supreme being, they have made an idol of their idealized definition of love, and then they equate that false definition of love with who God is. Scripture tells us that love does not define God, but God defines love.

Love is an action, not an emotion. It’s something we do not something we feel that’s why love should be the servant of our will, not the slave of our emotions.

God’s love is based on Kingdom purposes, principles and service to others. Counterfeit love is based on passions, preferences, and service to ourselves.

1 John 2:10-11 states that whoever claims to believe in Jesus but does not love his brother is a person who it in darkness. They might claim to be in the light, but the absence of love reveals that they have embraced a counterfeit. Where the true light of Jesus shines there is authentic love.

We can see this today in the social and political climate. Those who reject God truth, whether on the left or the right are blinded by hate and walk in darkness. if you read any comments on social media, it is very clear that they are distorted and disoriented. They do not know where they’re going because darkness has blinded their eyes.

Matthew 6:22-23 tells us,

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness.”