Be Blessed by: Bishop Paul S. Morton

Love is ACTION- Part 2

Our last post was centered around a specific incident that allegedly happened with a man of God. We focused on the love chapter which can be found in 1 Corinthians 13. Today we're going to pick back up on verses 4-8 in the Amplified Bible:

⁴Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

⁵It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

⁶It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

⁷Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

⁸Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

These scriptures basically give us the true definition of love. This is what God expects of his people on a daily basis. The truth of the matter is, how hard could it possibly be to love someone who always does what you want them to do, always acts the way you want them to act, etc. Love means sacrificing. It means that I have to love people regardless of how they treat me.

We all have heard various portrayals of the Bishop Eddie Long situation. My heart goes out to both him and his church family. Whether the accusations are true or not, the prayer warrior in each of us should have been activated immediately. Whenever accusations start swirling, Christians should reserve comment until the truth comes out. Verse 7 says: Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Instead of sitting around talking about how dirty and nasty this man is and what a liar he is, just simply pray the mercy of God upon him and his family. Treat them as you would want to be treated if you were accused of something. Even if the accusations were found to be true remember what the scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:12 (Amplified Bible) Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin].

The final thing we should know about love comes from verse 8 which says: Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. My love for you and your love for me should never end regardless of what I do to you or what you do to me. Love does not end! Before judging or begrudging someone it's always important to remember that we're not perfect. As a matter of fact, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6 KJV). What would we have done if Jesus hadn't loved us in spite of ourselves? What would we have done if God had a respect of persons? None of us would be alive if Jesus hadn't looked beyond our faults and saw our needs. So whenever something comes out about any of our brothers and sisters, whether true or not, let's love them the way that Jesus loves us. (Galatians 6:1 AMP) BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.

Remain blessed

Love is ACTION- Part 1

This next series of blogs that I write will be pertaining to 1 Corinthians 13 aka the love chapter. As Christians many times I feel that we say this word way too loosely and when the time comes to step up to the plate we step back. It's time to realize more now than ever that love is not just a word that you say....IT IS WHAT YOU DO!! I believe that when Jesus returns for us and we stand before him, he is going to look at the definition of love and way our lives against it. So without further ado lets get started with this first section.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (Amplified Bible)

¹ IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

² And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).

³ Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing.

In a nutshell the above scriptures are telling us that we are worthless without the love of God in our hearts. No matter what type of outer appearance we try to put up, if there's no love behind it...its worthless. Many people are impressed when they see the saints of God shouting and preaching and going through the religious motions but they are soon taken back when they find out that you can't judge a book by its cover. LOVE IS ACTION!!!

Many of you have heard about the Bishop Eddie Long situation and you have already formed your own opinion on the matter. You talk about it and then you basically throw him under the bus. But yet, you say that you're saved. Check the scriptures above again...LOVE IS ACTION!!! The love of God in us should have kept our mouths shut no matter how bad we wanna talk about it. Let me be the first to say that I don't watch Bishop Long's shows but I respect him as a man of God. I admit that when I first heard about his case, I immediately wanted to pass judgement and say...SHAME ON HIM. He calls himself a BISHOP and look at what he has gotten himself into. But then a friend of mine, Leah LaRue, reminded me of the fact that no one really knows what happened and who are we to judge anyone knowing that we have our own faults. The next thing was that, we need to allow the legal process to take its course and let all of the facts come out and even then its not for us to pass judgement on anyone. I had to repent and start praying for own heart and then I begin to pray for him and his family.

1 Corinthians 10:12 (Amplified Bible) Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin].

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (King James Version)

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

People of God if we ever forget what God had to drag us out of, we are in major trouble. Mechanical holiness ain't worth a hill of beans. To me mechanical holiness is: standing up and clapping when everyone else claps, shouting when everyone else does or when the music is fast, memorizing scripture in order to look like you really know the Lord, doing things for the man or woman of God in order to get on their good side, fasting and telling everyone how holy you are, etc. It reminds me of a robot. When we were kids we used to go to the toy section of Wal-mart and find toys that would say "Press here". Instead of pressing just one, I decided to press them all. All of the robots or whatever would be moving at the same time and saying the same thing. If we're not careful we could become the same way. We can say whatever and do whatever but if it is not done in love without MOTIVES, it is a HUGE waste of time.

**To be continued...............

I AM STRONG.m4v

Beginners Guide To Stock Market Investment

What is the best advice to help start off a Beginner Guide To Stock Market Investment? Don’t try to learn everything at once. Instead, start by creating an investing plan. Then research the opportunities that match up with your goals. You can always expand your research as your investment knowledge and confidence grows. The creation of an investment plan starts by first identifying what you want to achieve, and how you will be done. On a sheet of paper, write down the amount of money that you can afford to invest on a monthly basis. Next write down the reasons that you want to begin stock market investing, and assign an amount of money to each investment goal. Then, separate them into categories:

Short-term investments - Less than a year – i.e., a vacation or money for the holidays. Short-term goals can often be met through the use of a CD or by opening a money market account.

Certificates of Deposits (CDs) are a good safe way of investing for beginners, and are offered with various maturity dates and interest rates by banks and brokers.

Money Market Accounts are also a safe bet. They are offered by banks, and are therefore FDIC insured. They are also very liquid. They usually come in two flavors: tax-free and traditional accounts. Look around for the interest rate that will come closest to meeting your investment goal.

Mid-term and long-term goals usually involve working with a broker to invest in the stock market and/or taking advantage of various opportunities offered by your State or employer.



College funds:

Every state now offers a 529 Prepaid Tuition Program

The Coverdell IRA (formerly known as an Educational IRA) can be opened through a brokerage firm.

Retirement Planning:

401K's are offered through employers.

Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAsare both available through brokers.


Stocks on the stock market involve more risk than other methods of investment for beginners. It is therefore recommended to start with mutual funds or work with a broker under a managed account.

Mutual Funds are lower risk because they are diversified. They are made up of many different stocks. If one stock goes way down in price, the overall mutual fund only goes down a fraction of the amount. Mutual funds are divided into numerous risk categories such as: Capital, Income, Growth, and Aggressive. You would choose one based upon your goals. Research and compare the various funds in that category through either your broker, or online. You’ll also want to read the fund’s prospectus for an overview of the mutual fund’s risks and performance history.

Bond Funds are like mutual funds, and are separated into various categories organized by their term length. A beginning investor should select the term-length that best meets their investment goals then research and compare the various bonds offered. Each bond has a prospectus that you will also want to read to fully understand the bond’s risks and performance.

Art and Collectibles Investing For beginners, art or collectibles is very risky, therefore invest in something that you are either passionate about or that you truly like. Maintain a narrow investment focus, get involved in your investment’s community and follow a trend. You will be in it for the long-term with no guarantee of certain returns.

Hopefully this short stock market for beginners guide has made a few things more clear for you. Whether you are investing in bond funds, art, or stocks, it will always be important to do your research and know what you are buying. Learn as much as you can from books or articles, and then do specific research on each individual investment. It may seem like a lot of work. As you probably know though, success with anything involves lots of small amounts of practice or learning that adds up to a champion athlete, or in this case, a successful investor. I have been looking to invest in the stock market pretty soon and I just wanted to share what I've learned through research.

Remain blessed

The Gift of Prayer

Do you pray? Do you pray often, or only occasionally? Is prayer important to you?

I ask you these questions because prayer and praying are essential for your life of faith. Like breath to the human body, prayer makes the spirit live. Without it, faith dies. On the other hand, a person who prays grows in spirit and life.

Let me tell you some things that may encourage you to pray.

Prayer is a Gift of God

To begin with, prayer is a gift of God. "Gift" is a good word to describe prayer, because praying is not something we can do of ourselves. " We do not know how to pray as we ought," scripture says. Prayer is a gift God must give.

And God gives that gift generously, without consideration of our worthiness or our unworthiness. Sinners as well as saints can pray. People of every religious tradition receive the gift. In fact, every human being is able to pray.

Yes, all are called to pray. All receive the gift. And, surprisingly, sometimes those thought to be "ungifted" pray best and are graciously heard. That's the lesson Jesus taught in his parable about the Pharisee and the Publican who together went up to the temple to pray. The Publican, an outsider who thought himself unworthy of approaching God in prayer, was found more pleasing by God than the Pharisee, a professionally religious person, who prayed so effortlessly.

Prayer, then, is God's gift to the strong and the weak, to the smallest child and frailest of the old. It's given to those who say, " I'm not really religious; prayer is beyond me." It's given to everyone, no matter who you are.

That's not to say we can't refuse to pray or we can't neglect it. Like any gift, prayer must be received. If someone gives you a beautiful piece of clothing, you may use it or not. You may take it and wear it. Or, you can throw it in the back of your closet and never look at it again. The piece of clothing becomes a gift unused. "If you knew the gift of God," Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well. A Gift was there before her eyes, but she was blind to it.

How tragic to go through life leaving the gift of prayer unused!

Prayer: God's Search for Intimacy with Us

Why does God give the gift of prayer? The main reason is because of love for us. God looks for intimacy with us. How strange that sounds! God all-sufficient, all-powerful, all-knowing, wishes to draw close, to communicate, to speak to us, to seek our response, to hear our prayer. It may seem unbelievable, but it is true.

At the same time, by praying we fulfill the desire we have as human beings to know God. After all, we are made in God's image. Something in in our being thirsts for intimacy with God. That thirst is described in the psalms, O God, you are my God, for you I long. For you my soul is thirsting. Like a dry weary land without water... so my soul longs for you, my God. Something in us cannot be satisfied unless we are draw near to God. "Our hearts are restless," St. Augustine says, "until they rest in you." By praying, we rest in God.

The church in her formal prayers often humbly acknowledges that prayer is God's gift and asks God to give and strengthen that gift in us. At the beginning of her daily prayers, the liturgy of the hours, the church prays two verses of the psalms.

O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

O God, come to my assistance.
O Lord, make haste to help me.

Simple, truthful words. I cannot open my lips in prayer unless God give me the gift. O God, come and assist me; help me that I may approach you.

And God does give this beautiful gift. In prayer God comes and helps; God invites us into the divine presence where we can open our lips and our hearts. There God welcomes our slightest word or cry, our smallest effort.

Delighting to give us the gift of prayer, God wishes that we come near to share our hearts and minds, our very life with One who loves us. Prayer is God's precious gift; cherish it always.

Remain blessed

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3, 5-6

Fred Hammond & RFC - All Things Are Working - 1998

This is one of my favorite songs to listen to when I'm going through a hard time. I don't know if any of you heard about it or not but I have been very, very sick for the last two months. I was in the hospital for about a month and I didn't think that I was going to make it for a while. But I'm so glad to know that no matter what we're going through... All things are going to work out for our good. God allows us to go through struggles for our benefit not for our detriment. I hope this clip blesses someone the way it blessed me.

Ezra Bufford -I'm Avail to you, organ

Time with God

Proverbs 3:1-8 says:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (vv. 5-6)

If you want God to lead you in life, put Him first in everything!

"He will make your paths straight"—that is, the way forward will be obvious to you, and God will remove the obstacles that would keep you from following His will for you. It sounds wonderful, doesn't it? But why are we not experiencing it every day? Notice that there are three conditions to this promise.

Trust in the Lord. When you sense Him leading you and you don't know where you will end up or how you will get through, obey Him anyway. Act on the reality that God is there. If He leads you, you can trust Him. This is not just verbal trust, but the kind that iswith all your heart!

Don't lean on your own understanding. Don't try to be the master of your own fate. Don't get the idea that you can plan your way through life. Recognise that you desperately need God's hand in your life, both guiding you and enabling you.

In all your ways acknowledge Him. Make sure that your life shows that God is the one you honour, love and obey.

Meet these three conditions and you can rest in the reality of God's guiding hand.

Remain blessed